Letter to the Editor: ‘Priorities Are Incredibly Messed Up’ … An Open Letter to the Bethel Boards of Selectmen and Finance

Letter from Bill Hillman

 

An open letter to the Bethel Boards of Selectmen and Finance:

Your priorities are truly messed up.

The Bethel Police station project is over budget by $880,000 and NEEDS to be completed (capital letters intended). Yet, after proclaiming strict adherence to Robert’s rules, Finance Chair Manfreda allowed many vocal tee-shirted proponents to shout and discuss issues unrelated to the recent Budget Hearing. Even the minutes of the meeting fail to reflect my comments which centered on the huge 5% year to year tax increase to Bethel Homeowners.

I appreciate that some want an improved soccer field. That’s really nice and pleasant.

Our Bethel Police Force NEEDS the type of training to react to the kind of situations we never want to see in Bethel. The Police Station NEEDS to be completed, training range included.

Bethel taxpayers can’t afford “wants” at this time. I wonder if the Bethel Boards would bow to pressure if every single Bethel peace officer showed up to your meetings to describe the NEED for the station and range; they are ready to place their very lives on the line for us.

The budget going into the Town Meeting is too high and priorities are incredibly messed up.

Fund what’s NEEDED, hold off on the nice-to haves, and demand answers from the contractors for the police station. We voted for that project in good faith. Get it done!

The budget needs to be reduced to no more than inflationary levels. That’s 2.2%, and not 5%!

 

Bill Hillman

Bethel, CT