Letter: Electing Kevin Kiley Is The Right Thing To Do In Fairfield Special Election

Written by Elizabeth Zezima, RTM District 4

To the Editor:

Electing Kevin Kiley to the Board of Selectmen in the special election on June 6th is the right thing to do for Fairfield.

It is also essential to reversing a self-destructive trend taking hold in town politics.

Over the course of 22 years of public service, Kevin was both careful with our money and a strong supporter of the services that make us an attractive and vibrant community. He put the town first and thus fell out of favor with his former Republican party for not being radical enough.

Republicans, who refuse to recognize the legitimacy of this election and feel entitled to power without input from voters, are now determined to make unsustainable budget cuts resulting in a failure to sufficiently fund core services.

The budget vote on May 1st made clear the RTM Republican majority is answering to a special interest group offering misleading data and a growing hostility towards support for education and libraries, literally the pillars of our community. They share a dogmatic policy of austerity that will end up costing taxpayers more in the long run.

The RTM majority’s reckless action to cut $825,000 from contingency was done without transparency or disclosure to either the Democratic caucus or to the public. This was especially dangerous considering the uncertainty of state aid in the current budget cycle and beyond.

Appeals against this cut made by the Board of Finance, which restored to contingency unsustainable cuts made by the Republican led Board of Selectman, including one third each of our paving and library materials budgets, were ignored.

Proposals to cut two positions at Town Hall were never disclosed to their respective department heads. Both were political in nature and had no effect on the budget. This isn’t good governance.

It is one party rule lacking in both transparency and decency.

If we continue down this path we face a decline in town services or a supplemental tax bill. Perhaps both. It is fiscally reckless and irresponsible to say the least.

Simply put electing Kevin Kiley on June 6th will restore both civility and fiscal responsibility to Fairfield.

Elizabeth Zezima

RTM District 4

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