Where Were The Other Headlines About The New Town Hall?

To the Editor:

I was surprised by the news in last week’s Newtown Bee about the $1 million in penalties if the town decided to stop the town hall project. Frankly, I doubt such extreme penalties exist, considering that we haven’t even broken ground yet, but if ever there was a reason for new town leadership, this is it. I’m not surprised that outgoing town officials had rushed to sign contracts to build a new town hall in just the past few months. I knew that was going to happen after the first selectman, in an effort to get the budget passed on its fourth attempt, told the public that the town would build the new town hall even without an approved budget. After that, I knew anything was possible.

But I certainly never expected the selectmen and our town attorneys would not protect the taxpayers of our town by waiting to fully execute any agreements until after the election not to mention agreeing to million-dollar penalties knowing that if a new administration was elected, there would be review of the project and any penalties would seriously limit the town’s options.

Why would they agree to penalties knowing that a growing number of taxpayers had organized to fight the town hall project and the 2008 budget approval was delayed because of the town hall project and that in the only opportunity taxpayers had to vote on the town hall, they voted against it? Clearly, the outgoing administration was irresponsible and I wouldn’t be surprised if we find more bad news farther down the road.

I was also surprised that The Newtown Bee decided, after four years, to report on the unexpected costs related to the town hall project with a front page story last week. Clearly, this is a major financial blunder on the part of the outgoing administration, and it deserves to be a front page story. But why did it take until now to see a headline about the out-of-control costs related to the new town hall?

Why didn’t The Bee write a front page story when the $6 million projected cost for additional municipal offices had instead become a new town hall and would cost $2 million more? And later, even though the public rejected the new town hall in a townwide referendum, the planning continued and the projections increased another $1.5 million. Where was the front page story then? And again, earlier this year, even before a shovel hit the ground, the cost rose another million to $10.5 million. Yet I never saw a headline alerting the public that Herb’s new town hall project will now cost half of the $21 million in funding that was approved for nine separate Fairfield Hills projects.

I wonder if The Newtown Bee would have remained silent as costs for a new town hall topped $11 million and then $12 million?

Kevin Fitzgerald

24 Old Farm Hill Road, Newtown                 November 28, 2007