The LWV Greenwich Releases Its Capital Projects Funding Study

GREENWICH, CT — The League of Women Voters of Greenwich has released its capital projects funding study to provide the community with transparency on how capital projects in town are selected, prioritized, calendared and funded.

The organization will now hold several community dialogues on the findings of the study in the coming weeks.

The following events are planned between now and September:

• July 25, 7 pm, a Zoom presentation by the Capital Projects Study Committee of its findings followed by Q&A. Sign up here.
• Aug. 2 and Aug. 8, two smaller Zoom discussion group opportunities, minimum size, six people. Sign up here for Aug. 2 (morning) or here for Aug. 8 (early evening).
• Sept. 13, 7 p.m., in-person discussion and Q&A, Black Box Theater at the Greenwich Library. Sign up here.

As a 501(c)(3) organization under IRS code, LWV Greenwich is both an advocacy and educational entity that has performed several other studies on various town issues.

The advocacy function of the LWV nationally, statewide, and locally relies upon a study of specific governmental issues and membership discussion and support to adopt a position.

Beginning in 2019, LWV Greenwich members approved the creation of a Capital Projects Study Committee (CPSC) to provide the Greenwich community with transparency on all things related to capital projects.

LWV Greenwich formed an eleven-person committee which included a balance of political and professional perspectives from both LWV Greenwich members and non-members.

The requirement for candidates was their commitment to learning, listening and ultimately finding consensus on the direction of planning and funding capital projects in the town of Greenwich.

The CPSC reviewed the planning, approval and funding processes used by the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET), First Selectman, Board of Education (BOE), Planning and Zoning, Public Works Deptartmet, Parks and Recreation Department, and others.

Committee members also interviewed several municipal officials from Westport and Fairfield to understand how comparable towns fund capital projects.

In addition, the CPSC worked to gain a better understanding of:

• Public awareness and transparency during the planning, approval, and implementation processes.
• The oversight of planned projects and the role of various proponents in approvals, implementations, and results.

According to the final report, key reccomendations for the town are:

1. Create a more strategic vision for the town.
2. Build a financial plan to support the strategic vision.
3. Enhance processes for capital planning and setting priorities.
4. Standardize and improve the town's capital and financial budgeting model.
5. Manage and assess implementation of capital projects thoroughly and transparently.
6. Create a funding plan for increased capital needs.
7. Reduce the budget cycle time.

The CPSC presented its final report to the LWV Greenwich membership on Jan. 11, 2023, responded to questions, and then developed a Concurrence Statement which was unanimously approved by the membership on Jan. 25, 2023.

Subsequently, CPSC members held conversations with First Selectman Fred Camillo, Town Administrator Ben Branyan, Board of Estimate leadership Leslie Moriarty (Democratic caucus) and board chair Dan Ozizmir (Republican caucus) and shared both the report and concurrence statements with those interviewed.

None have raised substantive objections to any findings of the CPSC, LWV Greenwich said.

"We have major capital needs for the future and any look at prioritization and our funding process is appreciated," Camillo said in his weekly newsletter to the community last Fridya. "Reworking the way we prioritize capital projects has been something my administration has been working on for several years and we have already changed our Capital Improvement Process from looking out 15 years to a more manageable five."

For more information and to read the full report and concurrence statement, click here.