To the Editor:

I'm writing to express my gratitude to the voters of Newtown for approving all items on the budget. The uncertainty at the state level presented an extra challenge this year for elected officials. Planning by the Legislative Council, well in advance of the decisionmaking process, helped us arrive at a bipartisan solution that benefits you, the taxpayers. Your support is an affirmation that you have confidence in the process and support the outcome.

The Legislative Council met twice with our state legislators and our state senator. We hosted the state budget director here at a council meeting to learn firsthand what we were facing. We rejected the governor's position to take on the liability of teacher pensions not met by the state year after year. We planned for an expected revenue shortfall to spare taxpayers an unplanned increase in taxes. Many of your representatives went to Hartford, and will continue to do so to express the concerns of our community.

Most importantly we worked collaboratively with other town leaders in facing the challenges the state is considering. This is the fourth year in a row that our budget passed on the first vote and I'm proud of the work done by the BOE, BOS, BOF and LC as part of that process. These are your friends and neighbors who, despite having a variety of opinions, all care about our community and want us to shine.

I'm proud to live in a community that supports all citizens and understands the need to balance our priorities at the same time. Education and security are valued by all of us. We need good roads and to support our police and our largest growing population of seniors, and this budget provides for each of those.

Now we wait for what will happen at the state level. Stay tuned for the next step in the process once we know how our community will be affected. The conversations will be open, in public, and follow our chartered mandated processes. We welcome your input.

Please note all comments are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of others on the Legislative Council.

Mary Ann Jacob

Chairman, Legislative Council

3 Primrose Street, Newtown        April 26, 2017