Where Is The Fiscal Responsibility?

To the Editor:

Pardon me, but I need to vent.

We are all aware that the average family is suffering with the high fuel prices and inflation. We are all aware that the average family is shortening vacations and cutting back on discretionary spending. So why is it acceptable for this town to increase debt without a vote?

Claiming that having a revote for a changed project is somehow unethical or unfair to the voters is disingenuous. My math for the increase is the estimate from Morganti of $3.9 million over budget of $38.8 million, which is a ten percent increase, which is not in line with the Consumer Price Index. When the alternates such as new athletic field, track, a lightning rod system, and cosmetic finishing are included, the cost increases to $5 million, which is 12.8 percent over budget. How much money is included for change orders and cost escalation? How much over budget does a project have to be before we decide that it is no longer affordable? I remember reading in The Bee that a new school population report from Dr Chung contradicted the previous findings. Is that a point of discussion? Can we wait for the renovation or do we have to overpay?

The leadership of this town needs to make tough decisions.

Why did a small group of people in the library in the middle of the summer approve $750,000 for a dog pound (I have three rescue animals at home) and $725,000 for a new turf athletic field? Why did we put a stone wall around all the fields at Treadwell Park when the wooden guard rails were accepted by the building department? How much will the lighting for ball fields at Fairfield Hills cost? Why didn’t we know there would be a cost for parking at the youth academy? That cost should have been bonded and we should not be considering a 6.9 percent interest rate. Why do we need a new town hall? Hey, Joe, keep your old office and let’s have a school renovation. Wherever the money comes from it is the taxpayers’.

I am tired of cutting the school budget but installing lighting to play ball. How many SmartBoards could be bought with the funds from the dog pound?

We have to make fiscally sound decisions which require that we evaluate each expenditure and decide if we really want to incur more debt and this should be determined by a vote.

Hey Joe — where is the fiscal responsibility we were promised?

Larry Garner

6 Forest View Drive, Sandy Hook                              August 20, 2008