To the Editor:

We write with regard to the Charter Revision questions on this year’s election ballot, specifically the question to remove the Board of Finance (“BOF”). As First Selectmen we have worked extensively with the BOF and do not agree with its removal and will be voting NO on Question 2.

We appreciate the time and energy the Charter Revision Commission spent in making its recommendations, but in this case we differ as it was a missed opportunity to refine and improve the role of the BOF instead of eliminating it.

We agree that there are redundancies in the present government construct between the BOF and Legislative Council and given the number of meetings it requires the First Selectman to attend, it would be easy for us to say get rid of it. That being said, the gains that the town has made over the last two decades since the BOF was created are undeniable.

The town’s bond rating has seen many upgrades to its present AAA rating from Standard and Poors, among other successes. This didn’t happen by accident, it came due to carefully crafted foundational policies and the shared commitment to follow them.

None of this is to say the Legislative Council and the people that serve on it are not capable, they are. However, the Legislative Council typically has much on its plate with sub-committee work outside of its regular meeting workflow. It is understandable that things can drift and take longer than intended, which is one of the reasons there was a push years ago to create the BOF to shoulder the financial policy making workload and it has served us all well in that capacity.

We hope a future Charter Revision can address some of the redundancies in our present form of government but for now we feel eliminating the Board of Finance is not warranted and should be rejected by the voters.

Please join us in voting NO on Question 2.

Sincerely,

Daniel C. Rosenthal — First Selectman

E. Patricia Llodra — First Selectman (2009-2017)

Herbert C. Rosenthal — First Selectman (1997-2007)