Submitted by Leslie Moriarty
After 20 years of community service — including the past 10 years on the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) — I’ve decided it’s time to step aside. Serving this community has been one of the great privileges of my life, but after a decade on the BET, I believe it’s time for new energy and fresh ideas to tackle the challenges facing our Town.
From the start, my goal was simple: to help solve problems in a way that works for everyone in our community. I’ve always tried to be open, transparent, fact based and focused on keeping our residents safe while supporting opportunities for both children and adults. I also believed in working across the aisle — something that was much easier when I first joined the BET than it is today.
There have been successes I’m proud of, but there have also been frustrations. The truth is, the biggest obstacle to progress on the BET right now is how partisan it has become. The control of the BET, with the Chair’s tie-breaking vote, was won by the Republicans in the last election on a 51%-49% vote, but it is being yielded as a hammer and not to the benefit of our residents.
Under Republican leadership, the BET has stopped thinking beyond a single budget year. There’s no serious long-term planning — no sense of where we want the Town to be five or ten years from now. That’s not responsible governing. The six Democratic candidates running for the BET bring the kind of real-world experience and management expertise our Town needs to get back on track — to think ahead, plan wisely, and act strategically.
Another major problem has been the refusal to invest in infrastructure. Republicans have treated deferred maintenance as a way to “save money.” But anyone who’s ever owned a home knows that ignoring repairs doesn’t save money — it makes things worse. Now the Town is paying the price: higher construction costs, higher interest rates, and mounting safety risks in aging buildings and outdated drainage systems. This “kicking the can down the road” approach has already cost taxpayers millions of dollars more than if we’d simply addressed problems when they arose.
And the lack of thoughtful planning doesn’t stop there. During last year’s budget cycle, the Republican BET members voted to cut the schools’ budget request — without asking a single question about what that would mean for students, teachers, or programs. Not one. When pressed for an explanation, they presented their own facts that were contradicted by data shared by the schools finance staff. They literally pulled a number out of the air. You can watch it happen on the meeting recording.
Our Town deserves better than that. We need a BET that works collaboratively, plans for the future, and makes informed, responsible decisions. That’s why I’m asking you to join me in supporting all six Democratic candidates for the BET: Elliot Alchek, Matt DesChamps, Laura Erickson, Doug Fenton, Stephen Selbst, and David
Weisbrod.
These six bring a powerful mix of financial expertise, management experience, and community commitment. They understand how to keep taxes affordable and invest smartly in our Town’s future. They’re thoughtful, engaged, and ready to work for all of us.
This election matters. The BET plays a critical role in shaping the future of our schools, our infrastructure, and our quality of life. Let’s give this team the chance to move our Town forward — together. Please vote for all six Democratic candidates for the BET.
Leslie Moriarty
Current Member of the Greenwich BET
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.