Submitted by Jennifer Andrews
It’s almost that time of year, school will soon be starting (unfortunately, even earlier for some this year), and we will head into that beautiful season called Fall. Along with the crisp change in the weather, residents of Greenwich should be looking forward to another possible change, a change in town leadership.
The past 2 years of Republican leadership has ushered in one disaster after another, and we simply cannot allow that to happen again. My hope is that after the massive amount of community engagement regarding the BOE budget and all the important jobs/programs that were cut, our town will not stand for that again. The only way to make sure we don’t repeat this travesty year after year is to vote for the Democratic BET slate and win the majority number of votes to secure that tie breaking vote.
Another equally important race is that of the First Selectman. While this role at times seems more symbolic than policy driven, Fred Camillo has done everything in his power to make his mark, and it’s costing our town it’s dignity and a lot of money. Where can one begin, with so many missteps to list?
Prior to this current term, there was “signgate,” costing the town well over the $650,000 settlement amount.
There was the triplicate investigation into the Project Veritas video of the Cos Cob Assistant Principal, which cost $350,000 even though there were already 2 separate thorough investigations in process.
Then there is the pattern of ramming projects through without community buy-in. The Hamill Rink project is a prime example of how that tactic failed, and now we also have the Havemeyer Building debate.
His latest and greatest waste of taxpayer money is his lawsuit again the BOE. Bills are racking up as we speak, in excess of at least $300,000. The dumbed down version of events – Mr. Camillo tried to appoint his friend to the BOE, someone who is
- not qualified.
- was a part of the “signgate” scandal, hiring someone to lie and pretend to be a part of the campaign to procure receipts all the way down in Texas. This person was also recently fined by the Connecticut State Election Enforcement Commission for filing “questionable signatures” on petition paperwork. Why would Mr. Camillio think this this is an appropriate candidate for our BOE?
When questioned by the RTM Budget Overview and Finance Committees over his budget making decisions and process earlier this year, Mr. Camillo skillfully managed not to answer one question that was asked and could provide no details on a Capital Plan. In short, there isn’t one.
We will have the opportunity to vote for a team that has a plan and are both proven to execute. In his short time on the RTM, Anthony Moor has taken the previously benign RTM Transportation Committee and turned it into a vibrant and action-based committee. He listens to his constituents and has a laser focus on traffic and pedestrian safety. He is incredibly passionate about education and the overall budget. Rachel Khanna has proven herself to be an indispensable asset to Greenwich, bringing in millions of dollars from the state to benefit our community members while serving as one of our House Representatives. She has continued to fight for us, even while not in office.
I’m looking forward to the fall, and to this very much needed change. Let’s make that change happen, please join me in voting for Anthony Moor as First Selectman, and Rachel Khanna as Selectwoman.
Jennifer Andrews
Member of D6 RTM