Trumbull first selectman challenger announces fiscal platform

TRUMBULL – (press release) Trumbull Democratic First Selectman candidate Mary Beth Thornton today outlined her plan for the town’s financial stability, calling for long-term structural change, an examination of internal processes, and the commissioning of a comprehensive analysis by outside experts to make recommendations for long-term structural change.

“It’s time to develop and adopt a strategy for fiscal stability,” Thornton said. “This town tends to make decisions on an ad-hoc basis, one decision at a time, on a micro basis, and by doing that, we fail to connect the dots and understand how each decision and initiative affects the next.  If we expect to become substantially more efficient, we need to start with a critical look at our internal processes.”

First Selectman Tim Herbst has failed to act in a fiscally responsible manner by wasting taxpayer money on spurious “legal opinions,” the sole purpose of which has been to justify his actions, Thornton said. Herbst engaged in fiscal chicanery by presenting a budget that used the General Fund to artificially lower the tax rate below 2 percent, when in fact his budget was increased by 2.48 percent, as verified by the town’s Director of Finance, she said. Herbst also engaged in questionable fiscal decision-making by moving items formerly in the operating budget into the capital plan, thereby taking operating expenses and putting them on the town credit card. Finally, Herbst failed to present any kind of long-term economic plan or vision, instead taking credit for initiatives begun or agreed to by his predecessor.

To translate that vision into concrete action Thornton and her team will do the following:

Within the first 90 days of her term, engage outside experts on the subject of municipal efficiency. These outside experts will be funded in part through a reduction in First Selectman Tim Herbst’s spending on legal opinions.

  • Encourage the Board of Education to join with the town in engaging experts in the process of improving performance within school districts.
  • Create Citizen Community Teams using the model of the Citizens Review and Audit Committee to assist in identifying opportunities for savings.
  • Create a model in which employees of the town are encouraged to bring forward cost-saving ideas.
  • Immediately engage municipal unions to be a part of the process of review and input.
  • Require as part of the budget process that every department head justify each and every expense and give an accurate cost of every service (e.g., leaf pick-up).
  • Challenge every department head, and the Board of Education, to present a budget that limits increases in spending to the rate of inflation or less and to justify any increase above that number.
  • Engage all the stakeholders in open and productive discussions on how to merge services between the school board and the town with the goal of implementing those merged services by the second budget cycle of her term.
  • Collaborate with the Economic Development Commission to create a list of ten recommendations to improve the economic climate in Trumbull and retain and attract new business.

All of the Thornton platform planks are available at www.marybeththornton.com.

    Vinti Singh