Round 2 in Trumbull: the Economy

First Selectman candidates Tim Herbst and Mary Beth Thornton crossed swords over building height regulations, the Fairchild Memorial Multi-Magnet School and the town's economic future in their second debate.

Before a crowd of 100 people at the , Connecticut Post Editorial page Editor Michael Daly gave each candidate two minutes to respond and 30 seconds for rebuttal.

• On Economic Development:
  • Herbst: He said he would "take full advantage of of underutilized zones." The town has expanded the design district across from the and created one on Church Hill Road. A "targeted tax abatement program" for businesses is also being considered. He charged the past administration with approving six percent average tax hikes that drove away some businesses.
  • Thornton: Trumbull has 500,000 square feet of vacant office space. The town should attract environmental technology and aerospace, among other things. Businesses "want to know there is a relationship" with the town. She criticized Herbst for Mahle GmbH's closing down its office in town starting Dec. 31, with a loss of 99 jobs, according to the Connecticut Post.
• On Hiring an Economic Development Director:
  • Thornton: She said she would reach out to local and national real estate companies. "This a person that needs to have their hand on the pulse" of Trumbull. The town can use its Geographic Imaging System to help bring in more businesses. Meanwhile, the town has lost its Economic Development director and hasn't filled it, creating "lost opportunity," she said.
  • Herbst: The EDD position is in the process of becoming a permanent position, rather than a contractor. He said he hasn't filled it yet because the next first selectman should pick his or her own director. "I want somebody that is highly qualified in business retention and business expansion," he said.
• On Attracting New Businesses to Trumbull:
  • Herbst: "Ask [shelton] Mayor Lauretti why he's been successful." Herbst said his administration has done "Yeoman's work" in stabilizing taxes and keeping them at less than two percent. "We are a lynchpin that connects Fairfield County to the rest of Connecticut," he said. He also noted bonding increased 92 percent, or by about $28.5 million, in the last six years.
  • Thornton: There needs to be a bipartisan effort. "I'm a realist," she said. Trumbull's building height restriction is too strict. The town's taxes were higher in the past because the town grew so rapidly. The last tax increase before Herbst's election was 0.88 percent, while Herbst's has been nearly two percent each year, she said.
• On Funding Schools:
  • Thornton: Increasing the commercial tax base will remove some of the burden from residents. She also called for reassessing the education budget-making process and hiring an agency "that does operational audits of Board of Education systems." She also would further fund the town's pension plan.
  • Herbst: Thornton has said the recent budget increase of nearly three percent was not enough. "She has said she will do all of these things" and keep taxes down. "Whose taxes are going to raise and by how much?" he asked. he added that the school system has not been "decimated" as some of his critics have charged.
• On Creating Future Business Leaders:
  • Herbst: Full-day kindergarten should be implemented. "I think early childhood intervention is important," with a greater emphasis on science and math in middle school and high school. He asked why Thornton abstained from voting on an emergency response intermunicipal agreement regarding the magnet school.
  • Thornton: The town should have had more seats in the magnet school. "They're going to be taught with a curriculum from 2018," giving students "a global edge," she said. Trumbull lost seats because the state legislature shifted a boundary, putting the school in Bridgeport. "This was an opportunity for all of us. This was an opportunity for economic development," she said.
• On the Future of the Medical Industry in Trumbull:
  • Thornton: "I'd like to improve regional relationships" regarding health care businesses, she said. "Trumbull can be known as one of the health care annexes."
  • Herbst: The town has seen additions to the town's medical industry such as facilities at 5520 Park Ave. and Quarry Road. Businesses bring in additional real estate taxes and medical equipment brings in property taxes, he said. He cited as successes businesses including Sun Products and . "We've had great success in the last few years," he said.
• Taxes and Seniors:
  • Herbst: He said about 52 percent of Trumbull residents are at least 55 years old and were asking for tax relief when he was elected in 2009. He said his administration has delivered it, but more will be needed. "The population is getting older," Herbst said, adding that he has proposed a non-income based personal property tax relief program, which town attorneys say is legal.
  • Thornton: "Even $200 makes a difference," she said. Thornton said she's helped expand senior tax relief twice in her eight years on the Town Council. The town's program offers the most relief allowed by the state. "We have one of the best senior tax relief programs in the state," she said. Herbst's recent proposal is illegal, she added.
• Board of Education Surpluses:
  • Thornton: The Board of Education surplus is minimal compared to the total budget, usually resulting from overestimating for gas or oil, she said. "I've worked very hard to have our town become more transparent," she said. "I was one of the first people to ask for an [Board of Education] audit." The town should not use General Fund money to pay for items such as freshman sports." This creates a funding cliff that adds to the cost of all-day kindergarten, she has said. She called Herbst's education numbers "fuzzy math."
  • Herbst: The school board has returned $3 million in surplus funds to the town over the years. It also used an $832,000 surplus to pre-buy books. Items such as computers should be bought with operational funds, not bonding, he said.

Finally, Herbst vowed to hold a public hearing to introduce his next proposed budget, and both agreed that the library is a useful resource for the under- or unemployed. Herbst stressed the need for the library to invest in technology.

The third debate took place the same day at 7 p.m. at .