The town has been studying the Town Manager issue over 40 years. The democrats have endorsed, over the years a Town Manager for Simsbury. All of the consultants hired, to date have advocated a Town Manager for Simsbury. Many Charter Revision members have advocated a Town Manager. All the surrounding towns have initiated a Town Manager. The Town has had over the years 1st Selectmen who have come to the job with no training in Town management. This has lead to poor planning and wasteful projects. We have had budgets that are politically motivated and against the interests of the taxpayers. In the interest of professional management this board should reject the recommendations of the consultant and convene another Charter Revision Commission with the mandate to provide a Town Manager for Simsbury. In the First Selectman salary report from 1999-2011 there have been large increments in salary during the Vincent administration at the will of the Board of Selectmen, although his performance was poor. According to the Charter we now have a figurehead in the First Selectmen’s position with all responsibilities delegated to the pseudo Town Manager and a salary o f $113, 000. This is absurd.
It is not an accident that Simsbury has the highest mill rate in the Valley leading to fewer people purchasing homes, fewer students enrolling in the schools and virtually no economic development. With The Hartford leaving a big hole in the Grand List and Ensign Bickford and Dyno Nobel eventually leaving, we will have a great reduction in the Grand List leading to a catch 22 no development and increased taxes and people selling their homes and moving out of town. Now more than ever Simsbury needs professional management in the position of Town Manager, to give us long term planning and reduced spending.
The recommendations as presented are not feasible since we don’t need, “another step in the direction of professionalizing the town administration.” We no longer can wait for direction. We need implementation of a Town Manager now. The recommendations provided seem to align with the thinking of the pseudo Town Manager, Tom Cooke, since his job would be in jeopardy with a Town Manager. Since he is the one asking for this report and he hired the consultant, it appears that the direction given to the consultant was to say we need professional management but keep Tom Cooke’s position in place as pseudo Town Manager. This does not serve the taxpayers of Simsbury. These recommendations should be rejected and the Town should review all the other consultant reports that advocate a Town Manager for Simsbury. Please reject this report and its recommendations.
