Opinion: Brookfield Residents Deserve Honest Budgets and We Finally Have One

BROOKFIELD, CT — A letter to the editor written by Eileen Straiton, Brookfield resident.

"Dear Editor,

Restoring trust in our town government begins with all boards working collaboratively and making decisions based on what is best for Brookfield, rather than what is best for future election results. Finally, we have a budget that encompasses just that.

I commend our boards for working together to create a well-considered and honest proposal that is built on reality and honest numbers. I strongly recommend that any resident interested in maintaining the quality of our town services, our public schools and our home values vote YES for this fiscally responsible budget this Tuesday, May 17th.

Last year’s budget not only did not fully support the needs of our residents and children but included overly optimistic tax revenue projections that were unsupported. In additon, we have a multi-million dollar shortfall in our fund balance that the current administration and Board of Finance are correctly working to remedy as rapidly as possible. This budget is part of a plan that provides services at controlled costs while we desperately rebuild our fund balance in order to retain our AAA bond rating. If our bond rating is lost, the town will incur future borrowing costs that will hurt us immensely. Our elected officials realize it is imperative we do whatever possible to maintain our rating and are working hard to find good, honest solutions.

The health insurance fund has been fully and openly discussed with the town and is there to cover costs of any new enrollees in the plan with the remainder going to rebuild the fund balance. This has been repeated numerously in meetings and in an open and transparent way.

The time has come for us to start working together and making decisions based on what is best for our town, not our own political aspirations. Brookfielders came to the polls last November demanding honesty, good intentions and the right to vote on budgets that provide the resources necessary for our town and schools to provide what is needed in a cost-effective manner. Finally, we are being listened to.

For the Brookfield we all have been fighting to restore together, please support the good work our newly elected officials are trying so hard to do and vote YES this Tuesday, May 17th."

Would you like to send a letter to the editor? Email wendy.mitchell@patch.com.