Newtown Needs To Change The Way It Votes
Newtown Needs To Change The Way It Votes
To the Editor:
Newtown officials see no need to change the way the taxpayers vote. A proposed charter amendment in Naugatuck for two or three referendums was challenged by the Board of Education. The challenge in the courts lasted almost eight years. Who benefited? The Board of Education, which had all those years of eight to ten percent and more of increases in all town budgets. The Supreme Court voted 5-0 (not 3-2 or 4-1) that taxpayers can now have two referendums, school and municipal. We are now told that the town does not want to see one branch competing against another. Mr Rodgers, chairman of the Legislative Council, claims a number of towns are doing it, but he doesnât think itâs helpful. The minuses are more than the pluses. No explanations just words. Did those towns disappear or are they fighting each other or are they happy with the results? He noted that the Board of Finance and the Legislative Council analyze the needs of the town and its ability to pay. The townâs ability to pay emerged when compulsory arbitration was introduced. Two referendums are needed here in Newtown for budgets, this way the voters will be doing the bargaining.
The proposed teachersâ and administratorsâ salaries are never touched when a budget fails. The parents always pay the additional costs for their children. The Board of Education claims they need these increases for your children. Does that sound familiar?
Changes are needed to remove the stranglehold by the Board of Education. Why canât we have 25 students or more in a classroom? Iâm sure our teachers are capable. Therefore we will need less administrators and costs will be reduced. Why not change the zoning for one-family homes from one to two or three acres so we could stem the increase of children to Newtown.
The Newtown charter is archaic and needs change concerning budgets. All taxpayers should be heard. Just 150 or 200 people at a town meeting donât represent a town of 25,000 people.
Paul Fortugno
44 Philo Curtis Road, Sandy Hook                             April 14, 2004