Submitted by Trey Reynolds
We knocked on doors, made the case for fiscal responsibility, and voters gave us a majority on the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET). That’s the board that manages our $600 million budget for our schools, police, fire, parks, and everything else in town. We earned that win fair and square.
But what happened next was an act of political self-interest and betrayal. Harry Fisher took every single Democratic vote to become Chair. Then, in a series of shocking decisions, he used his authority to hand Democrats control of the most important committees. This isn’t about standing committees that are Republican-chaired by rule.
This is about the committees that matter most for oversight on major capital projects and setting policy direction.
The result is undeniable: on virtually every key school or facilities project, the BET members in charge are either Democrats or Fisher himself.
• On the Hamill Rink Committee and the Energy Management Advisory Committee (EMAC), Democrat Matt DesChamps was appointed.
• On the Havemeyer Committee, Democrat David Weisbrod was assigned.
• On the Central Middle School Committee, Fisher removed Republican Nisha Arora and appointed himself.
• He also placed himself on the Julian Curtiss School Committee and the powerful Budget Committee.
The result is crystal clear: Fisher, who owes his chairmanship to unanimous Democratic support, consistently acts in alignment with them and has placed Democrats in charge of key committees.
This isn’t what our constituents expected when we voted in 2023, and we need to make a change now.
Here’s what I know our conservative slate will do:
• Hold the line on taxes and spending.
• Put Republicans back in charge of Republican seats.
• Keep a close eye on school and town budgets.
• Bring back integrity and discipline to the BET.
This primary isn’t about personalities. It’s about whether Republicans are going to stand together — or whether we hand it all away again.
I trust that once you understand what has been happening on the BET, the choice will be clear. Greenwich cannot endure another two years of discord.
On September 9, let’s vote for the slate of Alfano, Arora, Brus, Dodson, Hopley, and Jansen, and finally make our Republican majority count.
Sincerely,
Trey Reynolds
District Leader, District 1, Greenwich RTC