Board Of Finance

Characterizations Were Unfair

To the Editor:

As PTA President of Newtown Middle School this past year and Sandy Hook School for the two previous years, I have been actively involved in the town budget process and an avid supporter of education. As an active member of the PTA Advocacy team, I worked closely with other PTA presidents to help keep our families apprised of the budget process in order for them to make an informed decision at the polls. This year’s budget, with the economic issues we faced, was especially challenging. We recognized the need for prudence, knowing it meant our children might have less than we hoped for. The leadership shown by the Board of Finance especially helped us see the passage of a responsible budget on the first try this year. John Kortze took the time on to attend our meetings and to answer questions we had about the process in order for us to more effectively communicate to the school community.

Last week’s Bee Hive letters from two residents unfairly characterized the Board of Finance in a variety of ways. The Board of Finance has an advisory position only. Their role in vetting all town budgets prior to being presented to the Legislative Council provides depth and thought to a long and difficult process. Ultimately it’s the responsibility of the Legislative Council to present a budget to the voters. This year, the reductions recommended by the BOF to the selectmen’s side of the budget were even more dramatic than were recommended for the Education side. As Mr Kortze pointed out recently in a follow-up to the budget process, reductions to the education budget did not result in the dramatic teacher reductions originally predicted. That report was a responsible follow-up to inform the voters of the results of the budget process — all data was taken directly from documents provided by the superintendent’s office.

Additionally, alleging that the Board of Finance has “turned a blind eye” to the spending at Fairfield Hills is just plain false. The Board of Finance has no jurisdiction of the funds that have been spent, or the funds already allocated to the Fairfield Hills Authority. Let’s stick to the facts and place the responsibility where it belongs.

We are at the beginning of a long election season. It needs to be about the facts, not the people — every singly person in every party that wants to serve is doing so because they want to do the right thing for the town and each person deserves to be treated fairly and with respect. Let’s hold ourselves accountable for how we treat other people.

Mary Ann Jacob

65 Mohawk Trail, Sandy Hook                                        July 29, 2009