First Selectman to Face Challenge for Republican Nomination

Lou Daniels, a former selectman and Board of Education Chairman, plans to challenge First Selectman Richard Barlow for the Republican nomination at the party’s caucus tonight.

First elected in 2007, Barlow said he feels he and the current board of selectmen have accomplished much — including senior tax relief, open space preservation, securing of recreation funding and grants and finding ways to save the town money — all while passing selectmen’s budgets that over the past three fiscal years have represented a net one-percent decrease.

Barlow said the Republican-dominated board has been fiscally conservative while doing as much as it can for residents

“We’ve had a good board; we’ve been responsive to the needs and I’d appreciate an opportunity to continue,” he said.

The Republican Town Committee  has endorsed Barlow but in a release, Daniels officially announced his plan to challenge Barlow.

Patch is attempting to connect with Daniels for further comment but in the release he said he feels Barlow has made mistakes, including mismanaging a search for a police chief and bringing the town to a (defeated) referendum in 2010 in a bid to purchase $935,000 for land at 5 Cherry Brook Road for a new town garage. 

Daniels said he also feels Barlow has not focused on the town’s infrastructure and future and has spent too much time and energy on the potential of bringing hydropower back to the Farmington River dams.

Barlow said the feels hydropower is a worthy cause for many reasons and has the potential to bring a quick return on investment, including a modest profit in its first year. He said hydropower is not competing with other projects and will only go forward if the economics work.

The town is taking steps toward the future as much as possible in tough economic times, Barlow said. A pavement management study, for example, has given the town the tools to maximize its spending for much-needed road work, an area he said has been largely neglected for at least the past 15 to 20 years, according to Barlow.

And while the town has increased its spending on roads, bonding will be necessary to make serious progress, he said.

And a capital study committee of selectmen, Board of Education members and town officials has started to look at infrastructure needs so they can be prioritized now that the town is closing in on the time when debt service will drop enough for the Board of Finance to begin considering bonding proposals, Barlow added.

While Police Chief John Murphy resigned in March of 2010 after three months, Barlow said the town was able to find a good chief in Christopher Arciero.

And while the town’s Permanent Municipal building Committee continues to struggle with finding a suitable location for a new garage, Barlow said he respects the town’s decision not to purchase the land.

However, he feels it was still prudent to give voters a chance to decide, especially since some potential purchases in the past were not brought to voters.   

“Major issues like that need to come before the town,” Barlow said.

The caucus will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday July 19 at Canton High School auditorium.