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Effectively Operating

I’d like to voice some disagreement with the views expressed in recent letters to the editor.

I feel Bill Gladstone’s belief that First Selectman Tom Banisch acted dictatorially in fostering the expenditure of monies outside the Capital Improvement Plan for additional road repairs not previously scheduled, was quite a stretch [Feb. 9 letter “A Barge Through Mud”]. The repairs added were to highly trafficked pathways to our major school cluster (Polson, Hand, Jeffrey), were in terrible condition and were most heavily used by the most inexperienced drivers (high school). Truly a recipe for disaster.

I agree with the principle that all organizations need process and rules to function properly, but any municipality, by necessity, also needs leadership. That leadership, to function effectively, needs the authority to make timely decisions to avert immediate and costly problems. That is why we, as citizens of Madison, elected Mr. Banisch, and that is why he acted properly, reasonably, and as expected by the electorate to fulfill his obligations to the community.

I also believe that David Rackey’s opinion that we should not pursue possibilities regarding development of the Academy School property [Feb. 9 letter “A Bad Way”] is short-sighted at best. I believe that having more options is better than having less, especially when our taxpayer’s money is involved. Frankly, the addition of a bit more grassy Town Green, as he suggests in his letter, does not strike me as a significant value added or draw for the town. I encourage Madison’s leadership to continue its current process in gathering both professional and citizen’s guidance in order to stop the financial bleeding from this longstanding problem.

In short, I hold that Mr. Banisch is effectively operating in the best interests of Madison and in accordance with its values and guidelines. Good work!

Thomas Kelty

Madison