To the Editor:

This new senior coalition of condo and home owners met Tuesday evening at the Senior Center in Sandy Hook in order to discuss their sharp increases in real estate taxes. There were over 170 seniors listening and participating in an active discussion which focused on the new valuations and assessments which grouped senior condo owners with owners of waterfront and McMansions. But there was an additional group of home owners who attended expressing the same concerns.

One of the goals of the Tuesday meeting was to collect petitions that were signed in the five respective senior condo communities. Additional petitions were left at the Senior Center for any senior to sign in order to become part of the coalition which is creating a website, www.NewtownLeagueofSeniorVoters.com, and an email address, info@newtownleagueofseniorvoters.com to provide a conduit for intra-communication between the five senior communities and other senior residents. This service will also provide relevant information to seniors on the town and school budgets as well as voting records of all the candidates who are seeking reelection.

This new coalition of seniors plan to attend the public meetings held by the Legislative Council and the committee on finance in order to become better informed but also to voice their opinions on issues and future expenditures. There was universal agreement among the attendees about playing a more active role in town affairs. There is a growing realization among Newtown’s seniors that failure to do so will never get them the recognition and consideration they deserve.

A meeting with town officials is tentatively scheduled in the evening of October 15, the location to be announced. The coalition has prepared a series of questions and a list of key senior concerns and issues that they will present along with the 350 signed petitions already completed and those still to be collected. They will make these “talking points” available by September 27 on the website and they will also leave copies at the Senior Center.

There is an opportunity for all seniors to get involved in this coalition whose goal is to gain equitable voice and representation. For those seniors who were not able to attend, another meeting will be held at the senior center before the October 15 meeting. The date of this meeting will be posted on the website.

Rudy Magnan

60 Watkins Drive, Sandy Hook                      September 18, 2013