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Not a Solution

I’m a Democrat but don’t vote according to party lines for Guilford town elected officials. I’m endorsing Ken MacKenzie for first selectman. He is the only elected official or candidate running for office whom I have heard expressing any concern about stemming the yearly increases in Guilford’s spending.

I believe that Guilford’s political machine and fiscal policies are similar to those of the political machine that controls our state government. The state political machine has almost bankrupted Connecticut (one of the ten wealthiest states in the Union.) The political machine in Guilford yearly approves significant budget increases.

Guilford currently has one of the highest mill rates, at 28.7, of any shoreline town for the same and often less services. Each year, in order to pass the referendum budget increases, parents of school children (Mr. MacKenzie is the parent of Guilford school children) are literally threatened with loss of services. It has happened for more than a decade with budget increases of three percent or higher.

Over the past 24 years, Matt Hoey, as chairman of the Board of Finance, has had ample opportunity to lead the process of reducing costs, but rather has approved yearly budgets with significant spending increases. In fact, between 2002 and 2015, Guilford has had an excess of 70 percent increase in spending!

Furthermore, the town doesn’t appear to have planned for the tsunami that’s going to flow down upon Guilford in the form of reduction of ECS monies and increase contribution costs to teachers’ pensions. The solution, to raid the rainy day account, will only work for so long. It’s not a solution to the long-term fiscal impact we will experience from Hartford.

I encourage your readers to join me and vote for a Ken on Nov. 7.

Jennifer McKeon Cruet

Guilford