Change The Way Our Government Operates

To the Editor:

Attention undecided voters!

I urge you to learn the facts surrounding the Fairfield Hills parking lot as a “case study” on the improved approach to governance offered by IPN. This letter, along with those of Board of Finance (BOF) candidates Benjamin Roberts and William McNerney, lays out the main points. Please consider this brief investment of time as a means to make an objective, fact-based choice between parties this election.

Last June, the Board of Selectmen (BOS) signed a deal with the Newtown Youth Academy (NYA) to cover the $3 million cost for demolition of Greenwich Hall and construction of a parking lot at Fairfield Hills, without BOF, Legislative Council (LC) or voter approval, simply by amending the NYA lease agreement. The BOS had this power because the current Fairfield Hills Ordinance circumvents the typical process as identified in our town charter.

In 2007, IPN had advocated for demolition of several buildings around the NYA and construction of the permanent parking plan using the existing bond monies allocated for FFH. The former BOS insisted that there was funding to complete both permanent parking and the new town hall. Then the story changed.

In May of 2008, I was surprised to read a Newtown Bee article reporting that the town was considering paying millions more to have the NYA complete the permanent parking construction on the town’s behalf.

Contrary to Jim Gaston’s assertion in the Letter Hive last week [“Lay Off The Lies”], I immediately contacted the LC chair to request that we discuss this significant financial transaction at our meeting on June 18, 2008. Gary Davis and I implored the council to establish a task force to review the FFH spending and to provide oversight. The majority of the council (including candidates Pat Llodra, Will Rodgers, Joe Hemingway, Jan Brookes, Jeff Capeci, John Aurelia, and Dan Amaral) did not support our request. Mrs Llodra recommended that we end the discussion because “this is not a compelling interest other than for a couple of council members.” Later, Gary and I attempted to have the FHA ordinance reviewed, again to no avail.

With $30 million more requested for FFH, the FHA ordinance must be changed so that the BOS cannot unilaterally spend millions without voter approval and the BOF and LC cannot claim they have no jurisdiction on FFH spending. This is but one example of the costs our town has born due to poor planning and a failure to exercise appropriate checks and balances.

After reading the related letters this week from Benjamin Roberts and William McNerney, please check our facts and see further analysis at www.ipn2009.org. There you will find a detailed history, news articles, meeting minutes, and the timeline of this very public and controversial financial transaction (including a discussion of the “prevailing wage law” controversy that also surrounded this project).

Newtown needs more IPN representation to truly change the way our government operates. I fear the momentum for change will be very slow without the election of multiple IPN candidates. Your vote truly matters.

Po Murray

Incumbent Legislative

Council Candidate, District 2

38 Charter Ridge Drive, Sandy Hook                    October 20, 2009