A veteran Republican politician who is trying to jump from the Board of Selectmen to the Planning and Zoning Commission is questioning the Commission’s decision to delay an affordable housing study until after the November election.
Last week three fellow Republicans on the Commission blamed August “Augie” Palmer for spreading rumors about the affordable housing study. They said Palmer is spreading “hoo haa” by tying the study to low-income and federally subsidized housing, which simply isn’t the goal, Planning and Zoning Commissioners said.
Since the study has become the political hot potato of the fledgling election season, the Commission opted to delay the study until after the crazy season ends.
Commissioners Ed Hellauer, Vinny Vizzo and Eric Tichy — each recently passed over for re-election by the Republican Town Committee — also announced they will run for re-election to the Commission as independent candidates.
Palmer, meanwhile, a former First Selectman, opted not to run for re-election to the Board of Selectmen, and instead accepted a nomination for the Planning and Zoning Commission.
With me so far?
This week Palmer, when asked to react to the Commissioners’ move, brushed off the actions of his three Republicans colleagues and questioned whether they have the authority to delay the study.
“I don’t know who they think they are to deny it,” Palmer said.
Regarding the anger directed at him by Republican Commissioners on Planning and Zoning, Palmer said he lobbied local supporters to get him on the ballot for Planning and Zoning — and that he won the spot, fair and square.
“I was not on the ticket and I lobbied and got on the slate,” he said. “Hellauer could have done the same thing but did not have the intenstinel fortitude.”
Tichy was nominated for re-election by the GOP — but was pushed off the slate by Palmer in a paper ballot vote at the Republian caucus.
