This week’s North Haven Citizen contains an article about some of what First Selectman Janet McCarty plans to do in 2008. I recommend you read it.
Her first priority is to present a transparent budget. And she’s backing that up by appointing the Board of Education Business Manager, Ed Gomeau, to be interim budget coordinator. From what I’ve heard about Mr. Gomeau (who has returned to North Haven after working elsewhere), this is a great decision. He will bring a new process and a new attitude to a system that has formerly been all Vincent Palmeri all the time, with the Board of Finance just going along with false numbers, illegal budget transfers, and little respect for the input of department heads (except for Joseph Ierardi, whose department's budget numbers somehow were the only ones on target).
This town should thank Mr. Gomeau for taking on this extra burden and sharing with us his expertise. He can’t perform miracles, but at least the Board of Finance and the Town Meeting will have the best possible budget to vote on.
We should also thank Ms. McCarty for continuing to talk openly about her plans for the year. It's not only new, but courageous, because it opens her up for attack as her plans don't all pan out as quickly as she (and we) would like.
Also in this week’s Citizen, it says that McCarty delayed the January 3 Board of Selectmen meeting because Palmeri’s lawyer was in Arizona, and that rescheduling the meeting has been hampered by her attempt to get Palmeri’s lawyer to attend the meeting.
Also of note in the Citizen is Republican Selectman Michael Freda’s statement that there will be “fundamental disagreements” between him and the Democratic Selectmen, and that he will deliver his criticism at future meetings. It’s interesting that, in all he wrote on this blog, there were no fundamental disagreements that I could see. I hope he doesn’t hold back his ideas for presentation at Board of Selectmen meetings, but instead shares them with citizens so that they can be discussed in advance. Not only can citizens add their take on his ideas, but with their input, he might find areas and means of compromise.
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4 comments:
I hope his plan is better than the one the Board of Ed has used in the past, Ask for all they can get,then get by with what they get, Then give out raises with what is left over. Much like the city of New Haven. Accept Mayor John Ask the state for more money everytime he needs too.
Then the state takes it from the middle class in North Haven to send to Johnny D.
The Article in the Citizen was very telling of our First selectmens views.
What the heck goes on here?
The article also said that Freda met with the labor attorney and all three town attorney's (Porto/Paresse/Duby)
AT THE SAME MEETING!
I hope at least Janet and Steve were also there so that they didn't have to have a seperate meeting with the same three guys billing.
We had to pay $600/hr just for the three town attorney's...plus the labor lawyer...
Why did we need all 3 lawyers.
There is not any excuse. None. What a joke. The town counsel is already pushing us around for billing.
This is an outrage and needs answers. Administration may be new but this is being wet behind the ears at taxpayer expense. Who is running the decision on the "legal dream team"...I think the lawyers are pushing us around big time.
Wait until we see the bill for this meeting.
Question... is the monthly legal bill public info? or is FOI? or is it just private until it max's out the budget line item?
Sorry for the rant but this is one peeved resident and blooger.
And while I am on a legal kick, why are we scheduling Bd of selectman meeting's around somebody's layer's schedule?
What about other town business. What about if the guy can't make it until summertime?
Set the date if he comes he comes, if we need him for a decision and he doesn't show, cancel until next month, if he can't meet again then go forward and make your decision with the info you have.
There is other town business that needs to be heard and waiting on one guy's schedule is a joke.
There can be no open governmennt without a meeting schedule which is adhered to. There were about three conflicting dates in the variuos articles.
At worse we are being pushed around, at best we are disorganized...
I think this is a good move on the part of the McCarty administration. Gomeau's experience speaks for itself and he will do a great job.
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