Progress Begets Progress

To the Editor:

Approximately six weeks have passed since our April 22 referendum on eight far reaching questions, including our fiscal 2008/9 budget. It is instructive to look back on events now that relative clam has once again settled on us.

Impacting this quite complicated referendum were property revaluations, questions on a major high school expansion proposal, a budget proposal in excess of $105 million, an expansion of our Board of Education membership, new park and senior center facilities, and other charter issues.

In spite of, or perhaps because of, this, the turnout on referendum day was 6,200, or 38.8 percent of those eligible to vote. This turnout, on the first referendum, was even higher than the turnout (33.8 percent) than the previous year’s fourth referendum. Indeed, it was higher than any turnout for any referendum in at least the last seven years!

Can it be that the “sleeping giant” of voter involvement has been awakened? Perhaps a baby step has been taken in this direction but before we congratulate ourselves too much, we must be aware that even with this turnout better than six out of ten voters were too busy or disinterested to vote.

Nevertheless, progress begets progress. We must increase our efforts to communicate to all our citizens in a more sustained and comprehensive manner. Many factors contributed to this awakening: the monies involved; the birth of a third political party in town; senior citizens’ disenchantment with not being “consulted” properly on their new center; the significantly deteriorating state of our economy and ability to withstand financial adversity; the serious questioning of the size of the high school expansion; conflicting extrapolations from “experts” on future school enrollments; criticisms of inadequate explanations of proposals by town officials; the continuing divisiveness regarding a “new” town hall and other thorny issues.

Elected and appointed officials should take note that there is a sea change of expectations from our constituents. On March 17, more than 11 weeks ago, the Board of Selectmen in a non-unanimous vote halted, for the time being, moving forward with the high school expansion as proposed. At the time and for the reasons given this was unquestionably the correct and responsible thing to do. A figurative firestorm erupted — pro and con. I truly believe that this act, in and of itself, signaled loud and clear that we were not going to do business in an “as usual” manner. Intense discussion, thorough vetting, following good procedural checks and balances, and voter involvement will, in the end, benefit not only us, but future generations.

Let us all assist and nurture this “Phoenix” of more responsible and connected government to the people and the issues as it gains altitude.

Sincerely,

Paul J. Mangiafico

15 Kent Road, Newtown                                                     June 3, 2008