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10/11/2017 08:00 AMThe Democratic challenger for first selectman is Stephen Sheehan, a lawyer who works in private practice in Old Saybrook.
Sheehan’s plan, if elected, is “to look at the proportion [of the budget] spent on each of three areas—our top three: public works, police, and education,” said Sheehan. “We have a looming threat with the state budget. I would be open to what townspeople want for the [spending] allocation. I’m here to listen. If they want more spent for education, then that is what we should do. The better schools do, the better property values are, and that helps the mill rate.”
Sheehan also would like to see more scrutiny on why, though the town pays for their training, some new recruits to the Police Department don’t stay.
“I’d like to have all Police Commission members conduct an exit interview of any police officer that leaves the force before retirement,” said Sheehan.
He is also concerned about the increase in the town’s mill rate since 2010, when it was 14.06; it’s currently 19.7.*
“We haven’t asked departments in town what they would cut to absorb proposed salary increases of 2.25 percent in their budget,” said Sheehan.
He also wants to re-institute quarterly coordination meetings between the first selectman and town board and commission chairmen. Those meetings have occurred in the past and he thought they were valuable.
“Currently, I don’t think we properly coordinate our boards and commissions’ activities,” said Sheehan.
He suggested, for example, that the approach the school district used to select the synthetic turf field location could have been improved. The current spot, he said, is in a location where the town could not place lights “due to prior injunctive relief.”
“A more thoughtful process would have led to a better solution,” said Sheehan. “Timing and coordination is essential to keeping costs down. I want a common-sense approach. We should learn from our mistakes.”
Sheehan would also like to see the town leadership focus more funding and initiatives on economic development.
“We’re seeing plenty of buildings shuttered and closed and we need to find new businesses,” said Sheehan. “A budget of $10,000 for the Economic Development Committee to try to attract businesses to pick our community over others is pitiful.”
Sheehan said he would seek to focus more town funding on this effort as well as on initiatives to address the issue of housing for families and aging parents.
In terms of management of Town Hall, Sheehan said he liked that the town hired a finance director and agrees that has been an advantage to the town, but in an environment of limited resources, he would have preferred that the town hire a part-time finance director and a part-time human resource officer.
“A human resource officer can avoid costs for the town,” said Sheehan.
He’d also like to see more focus on the Water Pollution Control Authority: Sheehan is concerned that the WPCA has left the most difficult and costly-to-resolve septic systems solutions to the end of the program.
“I’d also like to see a neutral oversight committee to hear homeowner complaints” against the WPCA, he continued.
Sheehan has lived in Old Saybrook with his wife Peg for 29 years, and raised his family here. Sheehan’s community and town service includes 20 years on the Town Pension and Benefits Board, stints as a moderator of town meetings, and service on the Zoning Board of Appeals. He also volunteered to provide legal support to local non-profit organizations like Grounds for Kids to help them organize and is the past vice president and a current member of the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundations, Inc. He also has served on the Board of Directors of YMCA’s Camp Hazen, the Old Saybrook Little League, and the Old Saybrook Education Foundation.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story printed the incorrect assertion that the mill rate is 21.7.