To the Editor:

Some elected officials argue that the Board of Finance is inefficient as it requires a Board or Department head to attend an additional Board of Finance meeting. If that is the argument, perhaps we can eliminate the Legislative Council and just have a Board of Selectmen and Board of Education. That would be incredibly efficient and time saving …but not more democratic, effective or wise.

The Board of Finance is efficient, and effective. We have also heard that the creation of the Board of Finance was an anomaly created by uninformed Newtown voters who weren’t sure for what they were voting. I find such thought slightly jaded. I have the utmost faith in the Newtown voters that they knew exactly what they wanted. Newtown voters voted yes to an elected Board of Finance for its members to deal solely with the financial policies and budgets of the town.

The voters also understood that financial matters are technical and dominated by focused monetary applications. Newtown voters voted for the Legislative Council to retain the final financial authority. In short, the Board of Finance does the financial heavy lifting work, and the Legislative Council does the democratic political work. Such a balance has worked well for the past 20+ years. As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.”

In summary, the Board of Finance works, it is effective, it is efficient, it is democratic representing all Newtowners, not just a limited political district, it has saved taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, and Bonding Companies strongly support it — saving even more taxpayer money. It has been argued an equivalent Board of Finance can be created by Legislative Council Ordinance.

First, this is a total political method to be used for political coverage. Secondly, and more importantly, anyone remember how long it takes to get Ordinances passed? Six months to eighteen months?!…Blight Ordinance, Gun/Shooting Ordinance; Bag Ordinance, etc. Newtown’s $140,000,000 + budget, Capital Improvement Plan and debt policies are not best served by tail-end discretionary politics. They are best served by an elected Board of Finance, allegiant to the voters, not a Legislative Council.

These opinions are my own, and not those of any Board or Commission I have sat on, or continue to sit on … including the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, Warden of the Borough, Board of Burgesses, 2022 Charter Review Commission.

Thank you,

Jim Gaston

Newtown