As First Selectmen Paul Roy sits at his desk his list of “New Year’s resolutions” loom off to the side on an easel. The visible page says nothing about hitting the gym or eating better. Instead it is simply a list of goals for the town over the next year.
Roy wants to be the leader Seymour elected him to be and said he is happy and proud the residents chose him for the task.
His immediate priority is meeting with local businesses to find out how to work with them to regrow Seymour’s economic base.
“I want to know why these shops are in Seymour. I want to know what keeps them in Seymour,” said Roy as he sat behind his desk on the last Wednesday morning of 2009.
He wants to look at the downtown businesses and those operating at the Silvermine Industrial Park for answers about what is working and what needs to be fixed. Roy doesn’t know yet exactly when these meetings will take place, but said more information will be available later.
Providing information also made Roy’s list of goals as he intends to have the office produce a newsletter at least quarterly.
It will be available on the town’s Web site primarily. Some print editions may be produced for the senior center.
Roy said he would like to be able to produce the newsletter for mailing, but the cost of mailing to almost 7,000 homes prohibits that.
Costs in general are going to be the challenges he is looking at in 2010, and to help meet his goals Roy plans to establish a grants commission to help secure funding from any source they can find.
“We need help looking for grants,” said Roy. “Obviously we are looking for any money we can find out there.”
He said he is excited to see Seymour join the Connecticut Main Street Center, with some help from Theresa Conroy and Economic Development. That membership should open up resources to help Roy meet some of his business development and retention goals.
“It costs a few bucks to join but they are going to pay for it out of their budget,” said Roy
According to their Web site, www.ctmainstreet.org, the group is “state’s leading resource for cities and towns seeking to comprehensively revitalize their ‘main street’ districts.”
One thing Roy is cautiously not setting a personal goal on is the encroaching decision of whether or not to postpone a town revaluation. Last year the board of selectmen authorized postponing it for a year. Now they will have to determine if it is advisable to do so again, and Roy doesn’t want to simply hand down any edicts to the board on that matter.
“2010 would be the year we should do it,” said Roy. “Will it happen? I’m not sure.”
Roy noted the revaluation process would carry a cost that is not budgeted. Whether or not the final result of a revaluation it would result in a significant tax burden shift he couldn’t say.
“If it will help the taxpayers then we will probably wait another year,” said Roy.
With at least one taxpayer though, Roy does have a more directed resolution in mind: he wants to see some movement with the Tri-Town Plaza property on Route 8.
The owner, Ron Spector, endorsed Roy in his run against Bob Koskelowski. The town and Spector have been in a 5‑year court battle over the property assessment. According to Roy, Spector is not delinquent on any taxes but feels the property is overvalued.
Roy hopes an agreement would help put new businesses into the plaza.
At the end of the year, and more accurately his term as First Selectman, Roy just wants to know that he did the best job for the town he could. He relishes his new-found role as leader.
“I have a responsibility to make sure the town made the right decision,” he said, leaning back in his chair and smiling. “That’s important to me, it’s going to make me a better leader.”
He pointed to a framed autograph on his wall. A poster like depiction of Alan Bean, the fourth man to step foot on the moon, hangs there signed for Roy. Bean advice to Roy, “Try to do the best thing, every day.”
“Whether it is my first year, or my second, that is what I am going to do,” said Roy.
