Design And Engineering Phase—

NHS Expansion Plan Heads To Referendum

By John Voket

Suggesting that taxpayers may want to convey their support or opposition to the initial phase of a projected $41 million high school expansion project in the privacy of a voting booth, selectmen Tuesday moved the first of two spending authorizations to a machine referendum. That referendum vote will occur Tuesday, June 26, between 6 am and 8 pm, at Newtown Middle School.

Since the referendum is being held on the first full day of school vacation, taxpayers who may be away can also cast absentee ballots on the measure. As was the case preceding the four budget referendums that occurred in recent weeks, Town Clerk Cynthia Simon is planning Saturday office hours June 23, from 9 am to noon, to accommodate those seeking to file absentee ballots.

Speaking about the $2.75 million in question for architectural and engineering services for Newtown High School, and the related authorization to issue the equivalent amount in bonding to meet the special appropriation, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said he was told the school board wanted to move forward on the vote in a town meeting.

But in advance of this week’s selectmen’s meeting, Mr Rosenthal said he learned there were local efforts in place to force a referendum by petition on the spending.

“We’ve heard from a few people who are flat out opposed to the project,” Mr Rosenthal told fellow selectmen William Brimmer, Jr, and Joseph Bojnowski. Conversely, the first selectman added that other residents have expressed that they are tired of voting after the recent spate of four budget referendums in about a six-week period.

“There’s no happy solution,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Ms Simon said a town meeting must still occur June 19 to move the call for the referendum vote and set the hours for the referendum, to be held on June 26, and to afford an opportunity for taxpayers to discuss the special appropriation. That town meeting will be at 7:30 pm, June 19 at Newtown High School lecture hall.

During the selectmen’s meeting, Mr Rosenthal and his fellow selectmen agreed that, generally, the largest contingent of voters who attend town meeting votes are those supporting the measures to be considered. Mr Brimmer and Mr Bojnowski agreed that this environment can be somewhat intimidating for opponents, even though such a public meeting can still afford a paper ballot instead of a voice vote or show of hands.

“I think we take a better temperature of the taxpayers by going to a referendum,” Mr Rosenthal said. “And if the architects fees are rejected, we know that people probably don’t want to spend the other $30–$35 million [for the construction phase of the project].”

Mr Brimmer pointed out that if a town meeting was held and ended up approving the project, a move to force a referendum would push that vote out several weeks further in the timeline.

“It would be the middle of summer,” Mr Brimmer said before joining his fellow officials in supporting the proposal.

“Clearly early to mid-July is one of the busiest times of the year for vacations,” Mr Rosenthal added.

“I’m leaning toward supporting a referendum,” Mr Bojnowski said prior to the unanimous endorsement of the machine vote. “There’s a general feeling that we are three people who tend to be overbearing — so let the voters of Newtown decide. We need to give the people that choice.”

Mr Rosenthal said a No vote on the school design authorization would give the Board of Education enough advance to make other plans to address alleviating space constraints at the high school.

“I would rather err on the side of making the decision [to authorize $2.75 million in bonding] more inclusive,” the first selectman concluded. “There’s no best thing to do here, so we have to do the most right and fair thing.”