Reenergize Newtown’s Government

To the Editor:

Like most residents I live in Newtown because of its rural, small town character. Newtown wants Blue Ribbon schools, well-maintained town facilities, and reasonable town services. We want all this while keeping Newtown affordable.

To accomplish this, we need to have a reenergized government with the appropriate processes in place to improve efficiencies and maximize the value town residents receive from their hard-earned tax dollars.

The Independent Party of Newtown was first organized in 2007. Since then in our platform, our letters, and position papers we have been very consistent in calling for a new culture of better government in Newtown. We have called for accountability, checks and balances in government, and transparency in how decisions are made.

I seek to implement a broad set of improvements and upgrades that will bring our government into the 21st Century.

First, we believe that a voter-driven strategic and long-range plan should set the agenda for the town. This makes sure we are all going in the same directions and that we have community buy. It guides each board and town department on what their objectives should be to accomplish these plans. It sets the priority for our capital spending plan and it makes sure that we meet our needs over the long term. We control our destiny, rather than letting events control us.

Second, we need a Better Government Performance Management system to make sure we deliver what we have promised to the voters. Having a plan is useless without the appropriate performance management systems to implement it. Our long-range plan needs to be broken down into annual and quarterly objectives, measurement systems set in place and then reviewed and the results shared with the voters.

 Third, we need a culture of enhanced communications. Again, we have been very specific as to what things we would continue to do, what we would do more of, and what new things we would put into place. The public needs to understand how our government works and what they get for the ever-rising property taxes they pay.

This has been a long campaign, a campaign that Newtown has not seen for some time. On November 3 Newtown will have a new Board of Selectmen. The work will start then to rebuild trust in Newtown government. I believe the IPN, composed of candidates and supporters from all parties including unaffiliated voters, is best positioned to bring Newtown together again. Our Better Government for Newtown Initiative builds on the positive things town government is doing. We can make government work better, more efficiently, and with a long-range vision that is better understood by the voters. That’s what I will do as first selectman.

Bruce Walczak

12 Glover Avenue, Newtown                                     October 27, 2009