Chris LaRocque Elected Chair Of Education Committee

By John Voket

Following the resignation of Republican colleague Mary Ann Jacob as chair, and her departure from the Legislative Council’s Education Committee, Councilman Chris LaRocque was elected chair of that committee on Wednesday, June 9. A brief Education Committee meeting that evening also filled the vacancy on that committee with Benjamin Spragg, who also chairs the council’s Finance Committee.

The action saw Mr Spragg essentially switching positions with Ms Jacobs, who will take his vacant seat on the council’s administrative subcommittee.

Just before the end of a June 2 meeting, Chairman Jeff Capeci informed the council that he received a ruling from Town Attorney David Grogins in regard to a concern expressed during an earlier meeting about Vice Chairman Mary Ann Jacob casting a vote on the budget.

The latest ruling appears to be a complete reversal on an earlier opinion that Ms Jacob’s employment as a part-time library assistant in the district posed a conflict, or the appearance of a conflict of interest, related to her position on, and as chair of, the Education Committee of the council.

Mr Capeci said there was no initial concern because the council cannot rule on school district budget line items.

But after the concern about a possible conflict nonetheless was registered by school officials ahead of a recent budget vote by the council, Mr Capeci said he was informed that in fact, while there is no conflict of interest, Mr Grogins believes Ms Jacob’s effectiveness on the committee would be compromised if she was involved in discussion remotely related to her department, or other school personnel matters.

Ms Jacob told her fellow council members that “anybody would be hard-pressed to find a conflict when I voted to reduce my employers’ budget by $2.5 million, which would not benefit me in any way, shape, or form.”

But she said in order for the council to most effectively begin working on issues tied to the school district and its budget, “there can’t be any concern at all that my position might compromise that.”

During the Education Committee’s brief, nine-minute meeting a week later, Councilman Kevin Fitzgerald nominated himself for the chairmanship, but the subsequent nomination of Mr LaRocque by Mr Spragg carried 2-1.

After Mr Capeci, who officiated as acting chair through the vote, acquiesced the gavel to Mr LaRocque, Mr Fitzgerald, who is a member of the Independent Party of Newtown (IPN), said he looked forward to working with his Republican colleague.

“I just want to make sure we are working together and constructively,” Mr Fitzgerald said, adding that working together as a group, he hoped the committee’s actions would present a “unified” and “more transparent” front.

Mr LaRocque reminded the committee that the council had already pledged to begin working more closely with, and much earlier in the process alongside, school board members and district administrators on the 2011-12 school budget.

Next year’s budget promises to be one of the most challenging because of further decreasing revenues, including the loss of $2 million in federal economic stimulus funds received in two installments and partially applied to the upcoming year’s sending plan.

According to Newtown Finance Director Robert Tait, the remainder of bonding to cover the cost of a high school expansion project may be negotiated in the 2011 fiscal cycle, and the majority of any related staffing costs tied to the expanded space and curriculum at the high school will also be a factor in next year’s school budget.

School officials estimate that each new staff position costs the district between $50,000 and $65,000, including benefits.

During the June 9 committee meeting, Mr Capeci said he plans to solidify any council charges to the newly staffed Education Committee in the coming weeks.