Murphy delivered civility, foresight as town's first selectman

By Scott Benjamin

BROOKFIELD -- Former Republican First Selectman Jerry Murphy delivered civility and common-sense responsibility to the town during his tenure from 2003 to 2007.

He was elected in a three-way race 17 years ago this fall running on a platform of "Leadership, Not Legal Fees."

The incumbent administration had expanded the legal budget and Murphy expressed concern that it was the town attorney and not the first selectman who was delivering most of the oral reports at the monthly selectmen's meetings.

After easily winning the race, he brought in a new set of town attorneys and lowered the legal budget.

Former Town Counsel Fran Collins, the former Speaker of the state House of Representatives, has credited him with being a good administrator in handling legal issues.

In 2001, former U.S. Rep. Jim Maloney (D-5) of Danbury said that Brookfield suffered from a "cranky civic discourse."

Murphy attempted to quell the rancor, and worked cooperatively with two different sets of other selectmen - Bill Davidson, who would later become first selectman, and Judy Heise - during his first term - and Art Kerley and Joni Park over his final two years in office. He also maintained a rapport with Rick Amorossi, who had been the Democratic candidate for first selectman in 2003, and Tom Gallagan, who had previously been a Democratic nominee for the town's top elected office.

Former Superintendent of Schools John Goetz, who arrived in Brookfield about five months before Murphy's election, has expressed admiration for how they were able to communicate effectively.

Murphy even went on trips with some of the local military veterans to see ships that stationed by the Navy in the New York City area.

There was less rancor in town government than during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In fact, Murphy won his second term in an uncontested election in 2005.

Murphy said, "I always and looking for a better idea than the one that I have."

Kerley once said that Murphy profited from "not trying to prove that he was the smartest person in the room."

Kerley also lauded him for demonstrating courage. When the town didn't have insurance coverage to address a horrific accident that had occurred before Murphy was elected, he proposed and the selectmen approved three, $800,000 payments to the families of the victims rather than trying to delay action through court actions. Murphy said he took that step because it was the appropriate thing to do for the town and the families of the victims.

He took that step even though the payments would have impact on the municipal fund balance for several years.

Although Murphy had spent 31 years in the Navy and had only been a full-time resident for 11 years before he was elected as first selectman, he had seen Brookfield evolve from a farming community to a growing suburb .

His family had owned a part-time home in Brookfield since the 1950s.

Shortly after he left office and took a temporary position as the manager of a real estate office in Oxford, he remarked that Oxford, which had become one of the fastest growing municipalities in Connecticut, reminded of how Brookfield had been in the 1960s.

He also initiated a picnic to thank the municipal volunteers and started the practice of posted wooden signs on the railroad bridge on Junction Road. The first sign was posted in December 2004 to greet Gov. M. Jodi Rell as her daughter drove her home from Danbury Hospital following breast cancer surgery.

Murphy also held an annual State of the Town address each winter to provide information on municipal operations to residents.

He was the focal point of the Republicans United For Brookfield organization, which was formed in the winter of 2003, months before they won the primary.

It was during the campaign that such candidates as Selectman Harry Shaker, former Selectman Marty Flynn, former Board of Education member Rob Gianazza and former Board of Education chairman and longtime Board of Finance member Bob Belden first emerged.

During the 2003 campaign Murphy became the first candidate to discuss commercial development in the 75 acres in the Berkshire Corporate Park. Today there is a cable television call center there and Branson Ultrasonics is building a plant that should open later this year.

During Murphy's administration he also with the assistance of Davidson and former state Rep. David Scribner (R-107) of Brookfield acquired state grants for the early conceptual development of the 198-acre Town Center of Brookfield. He also worked with two local real estate developers to get water service in 2005 through the northern section of that commercial district.

Murphy along with Scribner's assistance secured considerable state funding to expand the senior center. The funding was approved at a special town meeting in 2007 and the work was completed in 2010. He also took steps to develop the former soccer field at the cornfield on Junction Road which recently became the site of a medical office.