Continued Support

For The Budget

To the Editor:

 We write today to urge all eligible voters in Newtown to vote in support of the combined town and education budget in the next budget referendum. 

We voted yes at the last referendum, but we respect many of you who voted against previous budgets because you either felt the budget was too high or because of your anger at our town leaders continued insistence on moving forward with construction of a new town hall at Fairfield Hills when our schools are in need of repair, we need better recreational resources and we need a new senior center, among other priorities.

However, the time to address your feelings on the issue of the new town hall and the continued non-responsiveness of our elected leaders to the will of the people is at the polls in November, not at the next budget referendum. 

No matter how many times you may vote against the budget, the majority of our elected leaders have made it crystal clear that they support and are going forward with construction of a new town hall.  Voting against the budget will only hurt our children, hurt our schools and hurt our community.

We understand and share the frustration over the proposed new town hall that has been building for some time.  At a February 7 meeting with more than 400 residents, our town leaders were asked to halt work on the town hall project until they answered a series of 81 questions about the project that would provide the public with more information.  They refused.  The selectmen were provided these questions, and they said they would answer them.  Almost four months have passed, no response. Many questions (44 of them) were asked of Planning and Zoning about the town hall.  No answers. We petitioned the Legislative Council to modify the Fairfield Hills Authority ordinance so the council will have more say in public projects and the town hall.  The ordinance proposal sits with the town attorney as it meanders through the process.

The first selectman indicated at the council meeting this week that the Board of Selectman, after months of on and off consideration, now want to proceed with creating a strategic planning group.  Bravo!  We hope it finally happens.

In the meantime, we are preparing to identify a group of candidates for November who truly believe in integrated long-range planning, greater transparency in government, and a more responsive government that will truly have a dialogue with members of our community so when a budget is proposed, it will be a budget supported by the people on the first vote.

Until then, please vote “Yes” at the next budget referendum to stop the damage this budget controversy is doing to our schools and to our town.

Sincerely,

Po Murray

Gary Davis

Members of We Care About Newtown (WeCAN)

Charter Ridge Drive, Sandy Hook                                   May 23, 2007