Beth Krumeich for a Better Greenwich.

Ed was kind enough to lend me his blog so I could ask for your vote and explain my vision of a better Greenwich.

I moved to Greenwich 29 years ago when I married into a multigenerational Greenwich family. At that time our town had a reputation second to none. Our public schools were thought to be the best. Our park system was the envy of our neighbors. Businesses moving up from New York were replacing commuting as the primary engine of our economy. At the same time residents began thinking of how best to preserve the unique character of our town with long-term planning.

 Today, as I walked the streets of Greenwich talking with town residents during the campaign, I was left with the distinct impression that many people think that our best days are behind us. I disagree strongly. With better leadership we can be back on top and attract new families and businesses while preserving the unique character of Greenwich.

Many people complain our public schools have slipped, and in the case of New Lebanon School, an inadequate school building was left untouched when other schools were modernized. Flight of families from public to private schools is a serious threat to public education. Parents of school-aged children complain about lack of playing fields and sports facilities inferior to competing communities. Our parks and beaches, battered by storms, have been slow to be brought back to appropriate levels, and in the case of Byram Park the pool and other facilities have been allowed to decay to a level that is an embarrassment when compared to modern community pools in other towns like New Canaan. Realtors complain they are losing customers to other towns because our schools and facilities, and our Greenwich “brand” has been tarnished by neglect and the short-sightedness of our public officials.

 Although major projects like the police and fire complex and MISA, whose planning and genesis actually have roots in the Lash administration, have proceeded during the Tesei-Theis administration, thanks to the initiative of someone else, other needed projects have been abandoned or languish for lack of funding and leadership. Still others like flood and drainage projects are delayed because they are being funded too slowly, crowded out by the big-ticket projects. When we finally do get around to them these projects will face increased prices and will have lost the advantage of historically low interest rates.

 Peter Tesei and his running mate David Theis pretend as if the Greenwich of their boyhoods still exists and the only way to do things is the old way, which they dub “the Greenwich Way.” They will not change the way we do business, I will.

 Greenwich will come roaring back if we had leadership on the Board of Selectmen that is willing to seize the initiative and use smart financing like every other AAA rated community in our area. We are wasting taxpayer money by rushing to repay principal prematurely by using short-term bonds for long-term projects. For example, just by using 20-year bonds for the $ 63 million MISA and Central Fire Station projects we can save taxpayers $ 4.5 million in overall financing costs and save $ 9 million in debt service each year for five years. Without raising taxes, using smart financing would free up funds for other uses.

 All the AAA-rated towns in lower Fairfield County use 20-year bonds, but Peter Tesei and the Republican BET members stubbornly insist on using 5-year bonds for long-term projects and then make senseless arguments to support their intransigence in the face of smart financing advice from a municipal finance expert from Goldman Sachs. This wastes taxpayers’ money and is unfair to taxpayers who are forced to pay the entire cost of a project with a useful life of 20-50 years. We end up paying more for the project by repaying principal prematurely and failing to take advantage of historic low interest rates. This is not about book debt but about controlling debt service so we can pay for the projects we want and need.  Not using smart financing is one of the reasons we are falling behind other communities.  

 For example, a new Eastern Greenwich Civic Center could be the anchor of our parks system if we built a multi-use field house similar to facilities being built on college campuses all over the country. The adjoining fields could be upgraded and lit so the whole town can benefit from a new sports and community center unrivaled by competing towns.  But without the vision to lead the project, it will continue to be a tired old facility that will not be used for premier events.  That would take someone with true leadership skills to get the project out of committee and completed.

 Delaying projects and neglecting our infrastructure not only inevitably increases the cost sometimes it is dangerous. We nearly lost our sewer treatment plant during Super-storm Sandy that would have led to a financial and environmental catastrophe. We knew a year before during Hurricane Irene that our plant was vulnerable to flooding yet the move to make the plant, pump stations and other facilities more flood resilient fell victim to Peter’s go-slow approach to capital projects.

 Our pension performance is a disgrace and well below the performance of comparable funds. This has cost taxpayers $ 18.9 million in this year’s budget to meet shortfalls and next year unfunded deficits are projected to cost $ 23 million. I will call for a top to bottom review. Freeing up these funds would allow us to accelerate $ 50 million in needed flood control and drainage projects that are being funded at less than $ 2 million per year without raising taxes.

 Electing me and my running mate Drew Marzullo as the new majority on the Board of Selectmen will break up the old boys’ network and bring new perspective and priorities. As a wife and mother, and an experienced attorney, my life and professional experience will bring a new perspective that will emphasize problem solving and consensus building as well as representation for women who are shutout of the current all-male board.

 As the mother of two graduates of the Greenwich public school system I know the primary importance of education to our community. Yet too often the town and the public schools are at odds when the town would be better served by bridging the gap between administrations. The recent bullying tragedy demonstrates the need for better coordination between the town, the schools, public safety officials, public and private agencies, parents and the community. I will devote my time and energy to bringing our schools back to the excellence that has always been the hallmark of Greenwich public education.

 To accomplish all this will require a game-changing turnout. The future of our town is too important to leave everything to the same old guard who turn out for municipal elections. Voter apathy keeps the same old people in office. I ask for your vote on November 5. Join with me at the polls tomorrow to vote for change.  I promise you as your First Selectman I will work every day to make Greenwich a better place for ourselves and our children.