Spirited campaign heads for conclusion

Written by Donald Eng
Friday, 30 October 2009 09:37

For the first time in years, Trumbull residents have a clear choice in who will lead their town for the next two years. Challenger Timothy M., Herbst, the Republican candidate-in-waiting for the last four years, promised a hard-fought campaign and has delivered, taking the fight to incumbent Democrat Raymond G. Baldwin and forcing him to the defensive.

Normally, when a race features an eight-year incumbent, voters have an easy choice. If they like the way things are going in their town, they can vote for the incumbent and, presumably, continue to enjoy life as it is. If they want a change, they know how to get it.

But this year is different, as towns throughout Connecticut and the nation struggle in the grip of a financial meltdown that has many residents struggling to pay their bills in the face of job losses and plunging investment portfolios.

Faced with an economic crunch, most voters are taking a hard look at their tax bills, and rightly so. Unlike state and federal taxes, which the government takes directly from a worker’s paycheck, local taxes are directly collected from residents. When a resident writes out a check or sees a jump in their escrow payments, they tend to pay attention.

For that reason, most of the debate in this year’s campaign has focused on taxes and town spending. Baldwin has touted the fact that in the last year he has aggressively reduced the number of take home vehicles that town employees have at their disposal and reduced the number of town employees. Herbst began his campaign with a promise to return 3% of his annual salary to the town and to keep the town’s annual budget increases below the rate of inflation.

Clearly that message resonated with voters, because Baldwin eventually announced his own version of an austerity budgeting plan. Baldwin’s actually goes a step farther than Herbst’s, pledging to produce budgets like the one he submitted this year, which reduced town spending about 2% and raised taxes less than 1%.

But Baldwin has his own fiscal problems to worry about. Voters have not forgotten that he proposed a budget that raised taxes 11.6% last year. True, that number was misleading because the Board of Finance had allocated the previous year’s surplus to tax relief. So the 11.6% increase was actually a two-year hike. Also, the Board of Finance eventually sliced more than $2 million from the proposal to arrive at a more palatable increase.

Still, Baldwin recognized he had made a serious error and uttered the phrase that candidates are loathe to use during the first debate: “I made a mistake,” he said. “I should have shown more leadership.”

Baldwin also received fierce criticism for his habit of using his town-issued credit card to accumulate about $6,000 in expenses, many of which were not backed by receipts or were of unspecified benefit to the town.

The Herbst camp has made its share of mistakes, too. Sending out ballot applications without properly following state statute was the first, and it was followed by paperwork problems that nearly resulted in all Republican candidates except Herbst being disqualified. Then, Planning & Zoning candidate Gary Bean withdrew from the race after learning the Town Charter precluded him from winning. Finally, there was the candidate forum that the Republicans skipped after objecting to the format.

And so, as voters go to the polls, they have a choice, though one not nearly so clear cut as some might think. The Trumbull Times normally uses this space to endorse a candidate that its editorial board feels is the best person for the job. This year, with its editor moderating a debate between the two candidates tonight, the Times take the opportunity to have one last look at the two men vying for the job and will publish its pick tomorrow on its Web site, trumbulltimes.com. Make sure to tune in to Channel 17 tonight at 7 p.m. and see which candidate best represents your views.

Baldwin has offered unwavering leadership

Written by Raymond G. Baldwin
Friday, 30 October 2009 09:37

By Raymond G. Baldwin

Democrat

This has been a contentious campaign, but the time for argument and attack is over. The decision concerning who will lead Trumbull is now in your hands. And, before you make your final decision, I would like to share a few thoughts.

I believe I have offered an unwavering hand and perspective during times that have been very difficult. I believe that my decision-making when economic times were good has allowed Trumbull to move through our current economic crisis in a relatively strong fashion, when compared with many cities and towns.

I have supported the decision to keep our educational system strong and vital, which also helps maintain town property values. And I have worked diligently to improve our town emergency services to create a safe, nurturing and caring environment for all citizens.

I understand taxes have been an issue for many, but I remind you that Trumbull’s taxes have been no higher than other local, comparable towns.

Now, as you make your election decision, please know that in my eight-year tenure as First Selectman, I have been driven by a single thought: To accomplish only what is the right and proper course for Trumbull.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would be honored to serve you again, and continue to build on the many important town projects and programs we have initiated. In the event you have any questions or concerns between now and Election Day, my office is open, as always. Please call me at 203-452-5005.

In closing, I ask you to vote for me and my entire team, so together we can continue to make Trumbull southern Connecticut’s community of choice.

I wish you and your families good luck and good health.

Time to restore Trumbull’s promise is now

Written by Timothy M. Herbst
Friday, 30 October 2009 09:36

By Timothy M. Herbst

Republican

As I look back on the last 11 years on the Trumbull Planning & Zoning Commission, I am proud of what I see.

Our commercial grand list growth has more than doubled. We instituted the pre-application review process to promote harmonious economic development. I am proud to have led efforts to comprehensively revise the Town’s Plan of Conservation & Development for the first time in 22 years.

To implement this blueprint, we needed modern zoning regulations. That is why we comprehensively revised the Town’s zoning regulations for the first time in 60 years. We are already seeing increased economic development, with $83 million being added to Trumbull’s Grand List this year alone.

After leading a bipartisan reform effort, I decided it was time to build upon this record of accomplishment and run for First Selectman.

I am committed to restoring the promise of Trumbull. To do so requires a First Selectman that shows energy, fairness and focus.

As we have learned in Washington, on Wall Street and in Detroit, experience is only as strong as the judgment that complements it. Over the past eight years, I believe that judgment has resulted in a lack of accountability, misaligned priorities and out-of-touch leadership that has compromised the promise of Trumbull.

In this campaign, I have knocked on 6,500 doors. I have heard the same thing time and again. Trumbull is becoming too expensive.

As I have been house hunting, I have seen how a prospective mortgage payment can mushroom when you factor in taxes. Over the last eight years, taxes have gone up 54% and spending has increased 52%. The compounded average annual increase has been 6%. Town debt has gone from $61 million to $125 million.

Last year, an 11.6% property tax increase was proposed. In these economic times, we cannot sustain these increases. We must identify operational efficiencies, insist upon prudent spending and strive for ongoing Grand List growth.

I reject the notion that savings cannot be found. Last year the Board of Finance found $2.4 million of savings in Mr. Baldwin’s 2008 budget without compromising town services.

As a product of the Trumbull Public School System, I believe some of our priorities have also been misaligned. Joining the rest of our communities in implementing full day kindergarten should be more of an educational priority that a $7 million swimming pool. A school system must address all of its needs before addressing its wants. We must refocus our educational priorities on the 3 pillars of education — students, teachers and curriculum.

On Tuesday, when you go into the voting booth, this election comes down to two questions. Is the status quo serving Trumbull well, or can we do better? Should we stay the course or turn the page to better days?

I know we can do better. Let’s work together to make sure the reality of Trumbull lives up to the promise of Trumbull. The time is now.

To read Tim’s Blueprint for Trumbull’s Future, visit herbstfortrumbull.org.

Evangelista is concerned for children and retirees

Written by Ann Marie Evangelista
Friday, 30 October 2009 09:34

By Ann Marie Evangelista

Town Council candidate, R-5

I have been a proud Trumbull resident for almost 10 years. I am married to Bob and have three children: Tyler, 13, a Trumbull High freshman and member of the Agriscience program; and Dylan and Julia, 11, who are in sixth grade at Hillcrest. Three years ago my parents retired and moved to Trumbull from New York, to a house not far from mine. As you can see, my concerns for our town include both children and retirees as well.

If you were to tell me a few years back that I would be involved in town politics I never would have believed you. My son Tyler started kindergarten at Middlebrook two weeks after we moved to Trumbull. It was a wonderful experience, and we continue to be extremely happy with the Trumbull school system.

Three years later, when redistricting brought us to Frenchtown, I witnessed Jane Ryan and Middlebrook families coming together as one to inaugurate a new school, including my twins who were beginning kindergarten. I became very involved with the PTA and volunteered literally every day at Frenchtown. I was elected PTA vice president and co-president, and was the Connecticut Association of Schools Volunteer of the Year 2004-2005.

Volunteering at Frenchtown was a responsibility that I took very seriously. I was selected by Principal Jackie Norcel to be on several committees as a parent representative, including teacher interview committees, the Connecticut Association of School of the Year interview committee — Frenchtown was selected Connecticut Elementary School of the Year that year — and many others over the past six years. Because Frenchtown was a brand new school, the PTA was charged with organizing and implementing many new committees and events; and I am proud to have been an integral part of such a dedicated group of people.

I formerly worked as the assistant advertising manager for Scientific American Magazine in New York and was a member of the Newspaper Guild. I earned my bachelor of arts degree in communications from Queens College, City University of New York, and am a licensed medical transcriptionist, having served my internship in conjunction with California Medical Transcription and Stanford University Hospital.

I am honored to be part of the Herbst team. We are an intelligent, dedicated group of volunteers who genuinely want the best for our town. It has been very interesting walking the neighborhoods of District 5 and speaking with so many of the residents.

I believe that Tim Herbst would make a wonderful first selectman, and would provide Trumbull the leadership it needs.

I would be honored to serve as one of your Town Council members and will represent each and every resident of District 5 with the attention and respect they deserve. I’m looking forward to seeing each of you at Middlebrook school on Election Day, Nov. 3.

Poll watchers seeing near-record turnout

Written by Donald Eng
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 13:37

More than 3,200 voters had cast ballots by 9:45 this morning, according to numbers compiled from poll volunteers. That number is nearly 40% of the entire turnout from the 2007 municipal elections.

"We really won't know for sure until we get our 3 p.m. numbers, but it looks like turnout is very high across the

The people must decide

Written by Donald Eng
Friday, 30 October 2009 15:16

A political endorsement is a peculiar thing. After all, it places a newspaper, which the public expects to be a guardian of information and an unbiased source of news, in the position of telling its readers what they should think about a decision that will affect them for years to come.

These are hard times, and the newspaper recognizes the tough decisions elected officials of the voters’ choosing

Mark hopes to continue giving back to community

Written by Martha Jankovic-Mark
Friday, 30 October 2009 09:34

By Martha Jankovic-Mark

Town Council candidate, R-5

I am a two term incumbent Trumbull Town Council member for District Five.

I am an attorney who has specialized in the areas of taxation and estate planning, earning my BA from UConn, my JD from Quinnipiac, and my LLM in Taxation from Boston U. I currently serve on the Board of Directors of Trumbull Software Associates, Inc.

My husband Larry and I have lived in our Trumbull home for 22 years. My dear in laws, Al and Florence Mark, followed us, retiring and moving to Trumbull when we were about to have our first child, Jon, in 1991.

Our children Alex and Larissa were born soon thereafter. We have enjoyed living in this lovely community and have thoroughly enjoyed all that this town offers its residents. Our children attend Trumbull Public Schools, for which we have the highest regards, with Jon having graduated from Trumbull High School this past June.

Over the years, I have actively volunteered in the school system as a room mother and chaperone and as a volunteer and supporter of the Trumbull Youth Association. I strongly believe in giving back to the community which has provided us with so much.

My children also are actively involved at their schools, the library and in the community.

I want to thank my constituents in District Five in voting for me as your Town Council representative. I have taken my electoral responsibilities seriously, thoroughly researching and reviewing each of the resolutions which have come before us on the Council, and carefully balancing our district’s and town’s needs, wants, costs and ability to pay.

I am proud of my independent voting record. I support responsible spending, quality education and carefully planned development of our Town, while incorporating long-term and environmentally responsible policies. I shall continue to work toward meeting our community needs in a fiscally responsible manner, voting for what is in the best interest of my constituents.

I would be honored to serve another term on the Town Council and respectfully ask for your vote on Election Day, November 3, 2009.

Campaign hits the home stretch

Written by Donald Eng
Thursday, 29 October 2009 13:28

Less than a week before Election Day, both candidates are making last-minute pitches for votes and are outwardly confident of success.

First Selectman Raymond G. Baldwin, a Democrat, was touting poll numbers that he said showed him gaining support among politically unaffiliated residents, while officials with Republican challenger Timothy M. Herbst’s

Trumbull’s beauty drew Deyoe to town

Written by Jane Deyoe
Friday, 30 October 2009 09:33

By Jane Deyoe

Town Council candidate

R-2nd District

After arriving out East many years ago and house hunting in Trumbull and nearby towns, Trumbull’s beauty kept drawing my husband and me back.

We settled in the Pinewood Lake area and raised a son who attended Booth Hill School, Hillcrest and Trumbull High.

During those years I became involved in the community in many ways, including news reporting for the Trumbull Junior Woman’s club, Booth Hill School and Nichols Boy Scout Troop 67. Also, in my area of town, I joined the Nichols Improvement Association, and I served both as an assistant secretary and on the Board of Governors of the Pinewood Lake Association.

Later, my membership on the Trumbull Republican Town Committee led to my further involvement in Trumbull: Senior Commission, Board of Selectmen, Trumbull Day Commission and the Town Council Finance Committee.

As a selectman, I helped implement and run two senior programs, the Adopt-A-Senior program and the Senior-Ride program, which enhanced the lives of 130 Trumbull seniors who either wanted to be visited or called or wanted transportation. An impressive 109 Trumbull volunteers signed on to visit or call the seniors in the Adopt-A-Senior program. I volunteered at Stern Village and continue to volunteer at the North Street Group Home.

I am extremely pleased to be on Tim Herbst’s ticket. Tim is totally dedicated to the betterment of Trumbull and restoring the integrity of its town government. Tim has put together an impressive, dynamic team, combining new, yet experienced candidates and seasoned, dedicated candidates running for re-election.

A life-long resident of Trumbull, Tim loves the town and knows the right people to lead it honestly and responsibly, while maintaining its strong sense of community.

As a Town Council member, I am dedicated to helping improve Trumbull for all residents. My focus, on the Town Council and the Town Council Finance Committee, has been and is to cut town budget spending wherever possible.

I want to stabilize taxes so that all residents, including our seniors, who are the gems of our community, can continue to live in Trumbull. Also, I plan to be totally available to all North Nichols residents who may have questions regarding the current construction of sanitary sewers in their area of District 2.

This same sewer upgrade occurred in District 1, where residents complained of serious mismanagement of the project.

I want to protect the residents of District 2 from this occurring again. I welcome the opportunity to once again represent every District 2 resident honestly and responsibly.

Massaro wants long-term fiscal planning

Written by Carl Massaro
Friday, 30 October 2009 09:33

By Carl Massaro, candidate

Town Council, R-6th District

It has been my honor and privilege to serve you for four terms on the Town Council. I have sponsored legislation to improve senior tax relief programs and to extend tax relief to veterans and their spouses.

I brought protection to property owners with an ordinance prohibiting the use of municipal eminent domain power by prohibiting the taking of property for private development. Whenever possible, assistance was provided to our residents on issues of wetlands, traffic safety, education and public works.

Here in our district, I have supported the preservation of Great Oak Park by opposing the construction of ball fields and the dog park. Soon, refurbished walking trails will enhance our enjoyment of the diverse plant and animal life thriving in this pristine watershed. Canoe Brook Lake is the beneficiary of these conservation measures which will be enhanced by a flood remediation project at the south end of the park.

This past term, I served on the steering committee for the Community Conversation Education — an important town wide discussion on preparing our youth for productive roles in our community. This emphasis on improving the education of our children is a welcome priority over some of the recent long term spending proposals made this term.

As we cope with challenging economics in the coming term, I am eager to advocate sound, long term financial planning to bring an end to the excessive annual tax hikes we have been burdened with. I thank you for your confidence in my candidacy over the years and look forward to serving you on the Town Council in the coming session.