Letter to the Editor: Killingworth Town Hall Addition Proposal Defeated

Editor,

68 percent of Killingworth voters chose not to accept the administration's proposal to tax them over $70 per year for 20 or 30 years for an ill-conceived solution to the Town Hall problem.  

The building committee, working substantial hours, failed and failed miserably in producing a solution. The cost was outrageous and the solution was flawed from the very beginning. $3.5 or $4.4 million dollars, whatever number you believe, is just not trustworthy and the Building Committee and Chief Elected Official constantly extolled false and misleading facts & figures, which is simply dishonest when trying to convince residents of the actual facts.

This project, while very relevant, was marketed amaturesly and thousands upon thousands of resident tax dollars were spent recklessly on an ill-conceived program.

The Selectman's "charge" was not specific, clear & comprehensive.

What needs to be done now is for the Board of Selectmen to finally show leadership and develop a plan to solve the Town Hall problem. First, every member of the former committee should be replaced with a 'thank you' 
and a new committee formed after the first of the year to not include any conflict of interest members, as was the case on the previous committee.  A Selectman, Director of Finance and major Democratic member,
all from the same family should not serve on a new committee.!!

I would urge the Selectman to immediately formulate bids and a plan to fix the leak on the roof, then carefully develop a charge for a new committee to begin developing plans for the Selectmen's review on the solution.

The "new" Killingworth Republican Town Committee is awarded major kudo's for spearheading the opposition to the plan before voters. This is their responsibility and is their destiny. They deserve the respect of all residents.

I hope my friends in the administration understand the huge defeat of a vote of confidence they suffered because they apparently do not understand that most residents just can not afford the First Selectman's spending plan.

Leadership in needed, NOW! And, I hope my leader Mrs. Iino is up to it! I do wish her well.

Gerald "Jerry" Lucas

(former multi-term First Selectman)