Next Vote Is Tuesday—

Budget Vote Petitioners Say They Are ‘Not Activists’

By John Voket

Several of the Newtown residents who sought out and circulated petitions that are forcing a third budget referendum said they never considered themselves political activists. Nearly a dozen residents came to the town clerk following the second budget defeat seeking certified petitions that will give every qualified taxpayer in town another opportunity in the voting booth.

That opportunity will come next Tuesday, May 30, when polls will be open in Newtown Middle School gym from 6 am to 8 pm. Robert Hennessey, who was among the contingent of taxpayers who volunteered in the petition drive, told The Bee this week he thought residents deserved a third 14-hour referendum instead of being forced to voice their vote in a one-shot town meeting forum.

“This is a decision people should be able to make in the privacy of the voting booth,” he said. Mr Hennessey said he did not consider himself an activist, just a regular citizen who did what he thought needed to be done on behalf of his fellow taxpayers.

The latest budget proposal, which taxpayers are being asked to support or defeat next Tuesday, represents an increase that is now below the increase that was endorsed by more than 800 voters in the 2005 referendum, according to First Selectman Herb Rosenthal. The first selectman said he has been hearing substantially more opposition to this year’s proposed tax increase than he had in the previous couple of budget cycles.

“I’m hearing people’s concern about increasing taxes,” Mr Rosenthal said. “If there was a way to deliver the services residents are demanding without an increase we would.”

The last time the town’s budget proposal failed on more than one attempt was in 2003. This year, the first budget failure caused Legislative Council members to cut $295,000 or one-tenth of a mill from the proposed increase. A mill represents one dollar for every $1,000 in assessed property value.

After the second defeat, a more contentious council moved to cut an additional $590,000 or two-tenths of a mill. Under provisions in the town charter, the third budget vote was scheduled to be conducted at a town meeting this week, but the charter also allows for petitioners to support additional referendums by securing qualified signatures from at least five percent of eligible voters.

Since local volunteers garnered well over the minimum number of signatures, this week’s town meeting was held to set the date for the next vote. During that meeting, which was held last Tuesday at the middle school auditorium, 13 residents — mostly elected officials — took just a little more than four minutes to agree on May 30 as the date for the third referendum.

At that time, taxpayers will be asked to consider the latest budget proposal of $95,370,206. Any person who is a registered voter in town, as well as unregistered residents owning more than $1,000 in taxable property, including motor vehicles, may cast a ballot.

Ms Simon said that anyone who will not be available to cast a vote in person that day may file an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots will only be available at the town clerk’s office Friday, May 26, between 8 am and 4:30 pm, or during special Saturday hours, May 27, from 9 am to noon.

The town hall is closed Monday because of the Memorial Day holiday. Anyone with questions about the absentee process is encouraged to contact the town clerk’s office at 270-4210.

Arthur Hechler said he canvassed his neighborhood with petitions, while his wife took several to a local shopping center to solicit signatures to help force next Tuesday’s third referendum. He said he shares the sentiment of “a lot of people who signed the petitions,” who did not want to have to come out to a public meeting at night to vote on the budget.

“I believe the town meetings can be stacked with vocal supporters,” Mr Hechler said. “I feel it’s only fair for people to have the entire 14 hours to get out to vote.”

The local taxpayer said he never fashioned himself a political type.

“I’ve never participated in politics,” he said. “The most political I’ve ever gotten was to serve as the treasurer of my credit union, which really isn’t political at all.”

Mr Hechler said he and his wife were able to secure about 150 signatures, and was surprised to see how many young people with children in tow, lined up waiting to sign at one local shopping plaza.

“A lot of people said they felt things were getting out of hand,” he said. “Some even said they weren’t registered voters, but since they were property owners they wanted the opportunity to cast a fair and equitable vote in a referendum.”

Tunde Cseh, who was born in Brazil and was raised by Hungarian immigrant parents, said she prized her right to vote as one of the greatest things about being a citizen of the United States.

“I consider it a right and a responsibility to vote whenever the opportunity is there,” she said.

Ms Cseh, who gathered more than one-third of the qualifying signatures to force the third referendum, also said she kept a relatively low profile and never considered herself an activist.

“I think the town meeting is very limiting,” she said. “It just doesn’t provide the same level of access to the vote, or the same opportunity. I just don’t think this is the way to go, not with a town our size.”

Most of the signatures on Ms Cseh’s petitions were obtained in one afternoon while she was stationed outside a local church. She said most of the residents who signed expressed appreciation for another opportunity to vote, and most said they thought the budget proposal was still too high.

Another petition circulator, Paul Ludanyi, did not reply to calls for further comment. But he was on hand at the last Legislative Council meeting calling for drastic measures to help residents who may be overwhelmed by spiraling household expenses.

During the public portion of the meeting, Mr Ludanyi, who said he lived in town for almost 20 years, spoke on behalf of families and retirees.

“I propose you get your already sharpened pencils and cut the proposed budget by $3 million,” Mr Ludanyi said. “That would only be about three percent of the whole — that would be reasonable and significant in my opinion.”