Assistant Town Clerk Ann Fiteni signs, and officially receives, a petition from Sensible Wilton.
To the Editors:
Petitions calling for a revote have been submitted to the town clerk’s office.
It would be entirely sensible for the BOS, BOF and BOE to decide to revote the Miller-Driscoll project. Why?
1. The MD Building Committee (MDBC) was formed in direct violation of town-approved standards and policy.
2. The information sessions violated established state election laws and are under state review.
3. Information sessions were not held for seniors who foot half the bill but were inappropriately held for constituent/directly benefiting groups.
4. The original project started out as “roof repair” and “HVAC repair” and grew exponentially to $50 million with scant public information.
5. As such, many residents were taken by complete surprise to hear of the exorbitant proposal immediately before the vote.
6. The MDBC minutes on the town website are sketchy at best for the “largest capital project in town history.”
7. The first selectman complains there is only a “small group” of opponents but the fact of the matter is that a smaller group (MDBC) developed the plan in near secrecy.
8. A very large group of over 1,100 voters signed the petition calling for a re-vote.
9. The first selectman and the MDBC have caused considerable divisiveness in this community not seen in my 30 years here.
10. The voting process was deliberately rigged to avoid opposition. It was held off cycle, prior announcements were limited, info sessions were exclusionary.
11. Despite an overwhelming effort to advertise the effort to constituent/directly benefiting groups, voters narrowly lost by the slimmest of margins.
12. Why spend $50 million when $10 to $15 million will do? It will be harder to finance other improvements, say at Middlebrook.
13. Why burden already hard-pressed residents with unnecessary debt service?
14. Many residents are under financial stress. Foreclosures continue, homes don’t sell, average incomes decline, domestic violence increases.
Just where is the compassion for our citizens experiencing hard times due primarily to past government edicts, taxation, regulation?
Ed Papp
28 Walnut Place, Jan. 13