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No Small Task

From the day I was sworn into office as first selectman, I have faced the Town of Clinton’s very difficult financial challenges. I have taken quite a lot of heat on the subject as well, which is understandable.

I am outraged by the governor’s devastating budget. Like your readers, I have also been hit by our property tax increase. Please know that I continue the battle at the capitol, where I have testified on behalf of Clinton’s interests.

I also stood united with the Board of Selectmen presenting lower budgets to the Board of Finance and they increased the budgets each time. When you think about it, this year was the perfect storm in terms of infrastructure needs, our new Morgan School bonding costs kicked in, and medical insurance costs increased due to adverse claims experience. Against my recommendation, the Board of Finance choose not to hold reserves for future medical claims so there was nothing to offset the claims, thus resulting in increased premiums. All of this, coupled with the governor’s ruinous budget, resulted in, as I stated, the perfect storm.

I work tirelessly to keep costs down and moved forward with implementation of best business practices, cost benefit analysis, and consolidation of services and contracts with real cost savings. I created the debt service task force to study our future debt service for the next 10 years. We also maintained our town’s credit rating for the last two years, which was no small task.

Our focus moving forward together must be infrastructure, our children’s education, economic development, and our town’s financial sustainability for the long term.

The work continues and I will always fight for Clinton.

First Selectman Bruce Farmer

Clinton

Republican Bruce Farmer is seeking re-election as a write-in candidate.