Submitted by Doug Fenton, Riverside, Democratic Candidate for the BET
Greenwich’s budget should reflect the Town’s priorities and values. This requires difficult decisions. As residents and taxpayers, we should be able to expect those decisions to be data-driven, rigorous, and transparent. Further, if the BET is overruling the recommendations of other elected officials and Town Boards, then those decisions need to be well-founded, suggested early, and debated in the public sphere. My running mates and I pledge to deliver this thorough approach.
In recent years, however, the Town has sadly been forced to accept a different standard. Armed with the tie-breaking vote, BET Republicans have instead made myriad unilateral decisions that are dismissive of data, residents, elected officials, and experts – often at the last minute and with no supporting analysis.
I recognize that these charges are serious, warranting explanation. Below you will find three examples, chosen among many, to illustrate the ailments we seek to redress.
Flood Control: the Dearfield / Grove Lane Culvert Replacement
The First Selectman’s 2025-26 Capital Budget included two main flooding / drainage improvement projects: (1) Dearfield / Grove Lane Culvert Replacement and (2) West Brothers Brook Drainage Improvements. The BET chose to fund only one of these projects. Some background:
• Greenwich’s Flood and Erosion Control Board prioritized Dearfield /Grove Lane over West Brothers Brook.
• The First Selectman’s Budget described each project thusly:
– Dearfield/Grove project (~$8.3mm cost): “this area was severely impacted during the remnants of Hurricane Ida which resulted in a portion of Dearfield Drive being compromised, which required an emergency repair. The emergency repair completed at that time was not intended as a long term improvement. Given the importance of Dearfield Drive for emergency response and proximity to Greenwich Hospital, the Flood and Erosion Control Board agreed that this project be moved to the top of the priority list to avoid future roadway collapse and closure.”
– West Brothers Brook project (~$28.5mm cost): “Many of these projects are located on private property or within CTDOT jurisdiction which will complicate the ability to complete these projects and may have an impact on the costs… It should be noted that the completion of the projects identified and removal of the restriction will have little to no impact on this floodzone.”
• When asked directly, our Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner wrote, “DPW would place a higher priority on [the] Dearfield/Grove Lane project.”
Given the relative cost, expected benefit, and stated preference by multiple Town experts, one could assume that the BET would have chosen to fund the Dearfield/Grove Lane project.
However, the 6 BET Republicans actually deleted the Dearfield/Grove Lane project, with Chair Harry Fisher writing solely in their amendment, “No [sic] fully justified vs. other pressing drainage and flooding matters.” The deletion passed unilaterally, 7-6, courtesy of the Republican BET tie-breaking vote.
Pedestrian Safety: Indian Field Road Sidewalk
The First Selectman’s 2025-26 Capital budget included funding to address a current ‘sidewalk gap’ on Indian Field Road between Bruce Park Drive and the Exit 4 I-95 bridge, across from Putnam Indian Field School.
• The project information sheet stated, “Indian Field Road is in proximity to Bruce Park, Cos Cob Park, and Cos Cob Train Station, yet there is a sidewalk gap of approximately 1/10th mile. Indian Field Road has minimal shoulder space, making it very difficult for pedestrians to traverse the gap. The I-95 Exit 4 signals also have accessibility deficiencies, including lack of curb ramps, pedestrian phasing, pedestrian signal heads, and APS push buttons… this would provide [a] continuous sidewalk between Bruce Park and Cos Cob Park.”
• Concerns about pedestrian safety on this stretch of Indian Field Road were also highlighted in a March 2025 CT Department of Transportation PEL Study.
The BET Republicans deleted this project utilizing their tie-breaking vote, with Chair Harry Fisher’s stated rationale being his opinion that “it wouild connect two places I don’t believe people walk between.” Again the BET Republicans prioritized their personal views over priorities suggested by Town Departments.
School Budget: $4mm cut to the Greenwich Schools’ Budget
• On December 12th, the Board of Education approved its budget with a 7-1 vote. In the 109 days that followed, any BET Republican plan to reduce the school budget by $4mm was neither disclosed nor discussed with the public, BET Democrats, or (at least a majority of) the BOE.
– The rationale for the $4mm cut was suspect, so much so that the BET Republicans later put out a second statement detailing an entirely separate set of justifications (also suspect).
– Put simply, it appears the extent of the BET Republicans’ work was “We want to cut the school budget by exactly 2.00%” and that is exactly what they did.
• Upon hearing of the potential cut, over 1,000 residents reached out to the BET, and even Republican First Selectman Fred Camillo wrote, “I want to be very clear that budget cuts being proposed now by some members [of the BET] are going to be very harmful to Town departments, both big and small, and I oppose them… What I object to here is the magnitude of the proposed cut to the school budget.” The BET Republicans did not listen and passed the $4mm cut using their tie-breaking vote.
– A supermajority of the RTM then passed a SOMR asking the BET to reopen and compromise on the school budget. The BET Republicans ignored that ask; as a result, our children, our Town’s reputation, and property values have suffered.
As previously noted, these are just a few examples of the arbitrary and unilateral decision-making that misplaces priorities and devalues our Town.
We do not need to settle for this. It is now time for us all to make a careful collective decision with the data available. Please vote for all 6 Democrats (Elliot Alchek, Matt Deschamps, Laura Erickson, Doug Fenton, Stephen Selbst, and David Weisbrod) for the BET.
Doug Fenton
Candidate for the BET
Riverside
Note: The deadline to submit letters to the editor about candidates for consideration in the Nov 4, 2025 municipal elections is Oct 28, 2025 at 12:00 noon.