Everyone in East Haven realizes this is an election year. One can tell by the rhetoric that has been spread around town lately. So I thought I would ask for input from all the readers on what the issues are.
Let’s do that. But first I’d like to look back at what’s been accomplished in the last three years:
Now that…
The deficit will be zero in July and the next fiscal year will see money going into the fund balance.
The mill rate can come down a bit.
The way of projecting a budget will no longer allow for the overestimating of revenues to balance it.
We have a mayor who really does chair the board of finance meetings.
All the districts have had major improvements made in the last three years.
The Town Hall has been brought back to its glory days
Our schools have new roofs and solar panels that saved the Board of Education $60,000 in the short few months that they have been working.
The planning and zoning commission has finally stopped the quarrying in the fifth district from the applicants that donated thousands of dollars to the republican town committee to get the past commission to allow them to pull out hundreds of thousands of dollars, all while the people who live there suffered.
The library has been the recipient of great improvements that never happened under the republican administration.
The public works department gets things done to save the taxpayers money instead of going to private companies so kickbacks can continue.
Now that…
Main Street is as straight as it can be; because the fountain never should have been build in the middle of the road.
The heat is off in the old high school.
The school board reconfigured the school system so the leases on Dodge Avenue can be terminated and moved into a town-owned building that will save the BOE hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The splash pad is something every young family in town enjoys.
The Foxon Recreation Building has new windows and repairs have been made to the building
The Foxon Fire House and community housing building has a new roof.
The lease at the old C&F Cheese building is long broken and a new building built with state grant money houses the two street sweepers on public works property, instead of paying out $4,300 a month.
The out-of-town people have to purchase parking passes to use our beautiful beach and the new playscapes.
Memorial Field has a wonderful new playscape for the children to play on without getting slivers.
I know I must have left some accomplishments out, but I know you can see that things have gotten a lot better for the people of East Haven in the last three years.
So let’s start solving the real issues. What are they?
Please consider the effects of the worst economy in this nation’s history since the great depression, for these ramifications exist in every town and city in the country, not just here in East Haven. Even with that, though, we do have a few new businesses in town.
Would we like more? Of course, and the Economic Development Commission is at work on this problem. The commission meets the fourth Monday of every month at 250 Main St. and would welcome your input. So if you have the time to stop in, please do.
