To the Editor,

We would like to thank everyone who exercised their right to vote in Tuesday’s budget referendum. We are encouraged to see the increased turnout relative to the last few years. Your votes send a clear message, and your voices have not gone unheard. It is apparent, as it is our shared aspiration, that every Council member reevaluates their approach to budgeting, striving for a more balanced allocation of resources that considers both the needs of our schools and the financial constraints of our residents.

During the budget process Republican members of the Legislative Council offered alternatives that would have balanced the challenges of the residents with the needs of the Town and district. In talking to hundreds of voters ahead of this referendum, we heard from scores of Newtown residents who are struggling with costs of living amidst inflation. Some people can dismiss “a few hundred dollars,” but every bit matters when you are paycheck to paycheck, when you struggle to afford groceries or heat.

Newtown has not had a budget fail referendum in over a decade and we cannot take this message lightly. Affordability is not a partisan matter, and there were voters of all party affiliations who acted to send this budget back to the Council.

We encourage you to maintain your active involvement in democracy. In the upcoming weeks, we will have another opportunity by holding a second referendum on a revised Board of Education budget. Your participation in this process is invaluable, and we hope to see you exercise your right to vote once again.

Our comments are our own as individuals and not on behalf of the Legislative Council, of which we are members.

Jennifer Nicoletti, Legislative Council Representative District 2

Derek Pisani, LC District 1

John Zachos, LC District 3

Ben Ruben, LC District 3