Town Clerk Candidate: Fact-Check Needed On Charter Revision Proposal

I am a proud, lifelong Ansonian. In 1895 my great-grandfather served on the first Board of Aldermen. In 1943 my father, at the age of 21, was the youngest person ever to serve as an alderman and in 1985 my late brother was elected an alderman and due to his confinement to a wheelchair, was responsible for our City Hall becoming handicapped-accessible.

My grandchildren are sixth-generation Ansonians and I take my responsibility as a civil servant personally. I am honored to be on the ballot as the Democratic candidate for Town/City Clerk, a time-honored and vital part of local government who provides the professional link between the citizens and local governing bodies and agencies of government. 

Municipal Clerks pledge to be mindful of their neutrality and impartiality, rendering equal service to all.

I recently completed a term on the Charter Revision Commission and to change our charter, which has guided our city for so long, is a serious undertaking. I need to clarify a clear misinterpretation of the facts regarding alleged actions of the commission. I encourage everyone to read all of the meeting minutes and decide for yourselves exactly what took place.

A recent mailing from David Cassetti’s Republican Team cites a roll call vote taken at a meeting on Aug. 13, 2013 in regard to sending the ​“Responsible Referendum” to the Board of Aldermen for final approval.

What the article fails to mention is that this vote was taken after the ​“first” discussion on the topic. Those of us who voted ​“no” made it quite clear that we were not against the concept, only that we hadn’t given it enough consideration. It would be like purchasing a home after only looking at it from the outside!

Furthermore, the commission held a public hearing, followed by another meeting when the matter was discussed at length and after careful consideration, the ​“final” vote of the commission was a unanimous decision to forward the proposal to the aldermen for their approval. I don’t expect an apology or correction but the facts can’t be disputed; the meeting minutes verify exactly what took place. The entire commission agreed that the voters should make the choice. Which board should oversee the budget process is another matter altogether.

Since 1999 I have been closely involved in the budget process and witnessed firsthand the dedication and hard work of the Board of Apportionment and Taxation, not to mention the countless volunteer hours they put in as a bipartisan board formulating budgets with the best interests of the citizens of Ansonia in mind.

The budget process runs from January-May but the duties of this hardworking board do not end upon finalization of the budget. These dedicated commissioners meet monthly to oversee the finances of our city and ensure that every municipal department is adhering to their budget, line item by line item. There is a clear system of checks and balances and I commend and thank them for the tremendous work that they do.

The writer is a Democratic candidate for Town/City Clerk in Ansonia.

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