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10/17/2017 12:00 AMNo matter the final vote tally on Election Day, current First Selectman Tom Banisch (R) will get to keep his office. Banisch, who is running unopposed, recently sat down with The Source to reflect on his first term in office and his goals for the next two years.
When he first took office back in 2015, Banisch said adjusting to the new job came with its challenges and rewards. He admitted there was a bit of a learning curve, but said he is a quick study and got to work. He highlighted accomplishments from his first term, including an aggressive road maintenance and repair program, the restructuring of some town departments, new policies for purchasing contracts, and the updating of ordinances and fees.
From early on in the job, Banisch said he found the position very interesting and said he was pleased to learn just how much you can do for individual residents with this job, something as simple as taking a resident’s call and helping them work out a particular problem or directing them to the right department.
“A lot of the time these are small things that really bother somebody and the fact you were able to do something about it really makes them happy,” he said. “I think that communication part of the job is something that I probably had a feeling about, but once I got into this, I realized how rewarding it is.”
While tackling the small things is a big part of the job, protecting the town from the big things like the State of Connecticut has become a critical part of the job, too. Banisch said he has gotten involved with the state, taking ranking positions in organizations like the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) and the Connecticut Council of Small Towns (COST).
“In all of those positions you learn something but it is also your opportunity to do something for the town,” he said. “I feel like I am able to do things for the town because of those associations…It is a great networking opportunity so you help the town by getting funding for certain projects, but also just practical things getting done.”
With the state suffering through a fiscal crisis with no end in sight, Banisch said relationships through CCM and COST provide for a strength-in-numbers defense, but Banisch said the town is going to have to take a hard look at its own spending too.
“For the next five years, we are going to be under attack from the state, so we need to know that we are doing what is best for our town,” he said. “I don’t want to do any new projects for a couple of years. I want to finish what we have got going…We are knocking those off one at a time and once that is finished I want to hunker down and I want to take care of what needs to be done and not start anything new unless we have the money.”
Banisch said the town will still spend money on normal operations and projects like paving roads and purchasing emergency equipment when needed, but said the town might need to take a closer look at how certain items are paid for.
“I think we also need to look at how we finance things in the short term for the next few years,” he said. “I think we need to look at financing as an alternative to taxation—it is called leverage and you get a lot more done for a lot fewer dollars. I know that we are old Yankees and we like the fact that we pay cash for everything, but when we pay cash for everything, it is because we are taxing people.”
Keeping taxes down is another key component of his fiscal plan for the town, something about which Banisch said he has always been very outspoken.
“I am committed to keeping our taxes down,” he said. “I have seen two budget increases that were bigger than I wanted them to be. Last year the Board of Finance even increased it over what I cut it and felt that they were totally justified to do that. I don’t. I think if I go to them with a budget that contains some cuts that I am willing to suffer, that they should go along with me on it.”
The 2020 Vision
Banisch said the easiest way to combat the state aid cuts is revenue replacement. When Banisch announced in June that he would seek a second term, he unveiled a “2020 vision” for Madison in which he hopes to “grow our Grand List by an additional $150 million over our normal annual Grand List growth through smart development that is consistent with our Plan of Conservation and Development. At today’s mill rate, that would yield an additional $3.5 million in revenues.” Banisch admits that may be an ambitious goal, but said he is ready to work for it.
Some big projects fit into the 2020 vision like the eventual development of Academy School, a project Banisch said he is handling well, and the potential development of Island Avenue School if and when the building is closed, but Banisch said the key is to make sure that, regardless of size, that all development is in keeping with the character of the town.
Promoting economic development is closely tied with supporting existing businesses in town, such as helping with easements or helping bring faster cable to Wall Street, according to Banisch. He said encouraging stable growth also means understanding that both parties—the town and the developer—have to benefit from the development.
“If I am going to ask someone to come in and invest in our town, they have to be able to make some money doing it if they are going to be successful doing it,” he said.
Highs and Lows
Banisch said a lot has gone right in his first term, pointing to greater efficiencies at Town Hall, the handling of Academy School, and a greater push for smart development, but said there have been a few missteps along the way too.
When he first took office, Banisch said he kind of “stepped in it” when he selected a different set of roads for paving than the ones listed in the printed budget. While the incident led to a $400,000 special appropriation, Banisch said there was a silver lining.
“I think that turned out really well for the town because we did more roads as a result and that is one of the things that people comment to me all of the time that they are thrilled with the program we have to try and up the quality of our infrastructure,” he said.
The other big issue has been the Town Campus baseball field, a project that has gone on for more than a year and been a constant source of debate for many parties involved.
“I got a bad rap on that,” he said. “I wasn’t involved with it and if I had been involved with it from the beginning, they never would have put the tension netting system up...That was a learning experience because I learned that you have to get to whoever is running the project at the beginning and explain to them that we won’t tolerate a cost overrun.”
The field is currently closed and will remain closed until a third party does a safety inspection.
“I think that it has been an issue, but I don’t think it has been a black eye,” he said. “I think it has been more like people think it is a joke. I was out knocking on doors and people say, ‘What is going on with that baseball field?’ and then they laugh. I have had people say to me ‘Can I get a baseball field, too?’”
As first selectman, Banisch is currently paid $80,250 by the town; the Board of Finance voted in March to increase the first selectman salary to $100,000 in January 2018.