News

Letter: In Giving Thanks, Most Grateful for First Selectman Candidate Kit Devereaux

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Editor:

As Election Day and Thanksgiving season approach, I am reminded of the many things for which I give thanks. I give thanks for our wonderful Town and for the opportunity to have served our community on the Town Council and Board of Finance. I am also thankful for the experience of my first election running for Town Treasurer, losing by 47 votes and learning that every vote matters. I am also grateful for all of the candidates seeking roles in public service as this year’s contested races have engendered healthy debate which is good for our entire community. Today, I am most thankful for Kit Devereaux, our candidate for First Selectwoman.

Government

Town Officials to Committee Steering NCHS Fields Project: ‘It’s Like We Ordered a Rolls Royce and We Ended Up with a Toyota’

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A building contractor of 30 years experience who sits on the town’s legislative body said last week that he sees two major signs that spelled failure on recently disclosed cost overruns for a widely anticipated sports fields building project at New Canaan High School. According to Town Council member Joe Paladino, it’s never advantageous to be under a “tight time crunch” with respect to deadlines in a large project. “It’s not a great idea to have gun against your head and you folks truly did because you are under a time crunch, and there’s no way out of it,” Paladino told the chairman and secretary of the town-appointed committee that’s overseeing the turf fields and track project at the high school, now estimated to cost $5.8 million. “When your architect says he is ‘shocked’ by the number and your committee is ‘shocked’ by the number you are getting from your contractor, how do you know you got the right number?” Paladino told Bob Spangler and Mike Benevento of the Fields Building Committee during a meeting of the council’s Land Use and Recreation Subcommittee, held Sept. 20 at Town Hall.

News

Letter: Corbet Endorses Rob Fryer for Town Treasurer

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New Canaan is blessed with many resources and I can think of no one better than Rob Fryer—a CPA and experienced finance and accounting professional—for the role of town treasurer. As a former member of the Board of Finance, candidate for town treasurer in 2011 and soon-to-be former town councilman, I know firsthand that New Canaan would greatly benefit from Rob’s experience as a retired partner at a Big Four accounting firm and as an effective member of the New Canaan Community Foundation and the New Canaan Land Trust. Rob’s expertise in the oversight and implementation of financial controls—coupled with his availability and time commitment—offers New Canaan a tremendous opportunity to help steer the right course in cash management and bond financings and will provide the town’s senior leadership, boards and commissions with invaluable consultation in financial matters. As a nearly 30-year resident of New Canaan, Rob is above all a great man of integrity and character—nothing rattles him—which is why he is often sought for his thoughtful views on many different issues. To learn more about Rob and his plans as town treasurer take a look at his website at www.robfryer.com.

News

Letter: In Support of Christa Kenin for Selectman

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Editor:

I would like to express my thanks and best wishes to all of the candidates seeking elected office in New Canaan. Your commitment and willingness to serve our town is to be commended. While our community will benefit from engaging, contested races at the General Election in November – it appears likely as of now that one of the three seats for the Board of Selectmen will be decided at the Republican caucus on July 18th. Accordingly, I would like to convey my strong support of Christa Kenin who is running for Board of Selectman against the incumbent, Nick Williams. I have had the pleasure of serving on the Town Council with Christa and can attest to her integrity, dedication and passion to serve our constituents. On all topics, you can count on Christa to engage in thorough research, respectfully evaluate of all sides of an issue and actively communicate via digital media and face-to-face engagement to keep us all informed.

Government

Selectmen Hear Recommendation for $20,000 Salary for Town Treasurer

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Members of a municipal government subcommittee advocating for a $20,000 salary for the salary of the town treasurer said this week that the substantial pay increase could, in fact, save New Canaan money. According to Town Council member Kathleen Corbet, who serves on the legislative body’s Subcommittee for General Government and Finance, “with responsible, fair compensation for the town treasurer,” New canaan could “rely on them to do some of the functions that are being paid for on an internal audit function, which is an outsource function.”

“This committee is really all about savings for the town,” Corbet told members of the Board of Selectmen during their July 11 regular meeting, held at Town Hall. “We had the benefit of working with the Board of Education to find cost savings in health insurance, and we did that. We saved over $200,000. We’re not doing this for political attribution, but for saving money for the town.”

This recommendation comes after an extensive study of the salaries of town treasurers in 22 neighboring towns and cities, with respect to their respective budgets and duties, according to Corbet.