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FAIRFIELD, Conn. − To help our readers prepare for Election Day, The Daily Fairfield sent five questions to each of the candidates on the November ballot. The following response is from Linda Snelham-Moore, a Democrat running for the Representative Town Meeting in District 1.
Why should people vote for you?
I have worked for the citizens of Fairfield for 10 years. I was on the Representative Town Meeting for four years and really enjoyed it. I was vice chair of the Legislative and Administration Committee. I am currently on the Zoning Board of Appeals. I am a former member of the Land Acquisition Commission, as well as the Water Pollution Control Association.
I served as secretary of the Charter Revision Commission. I am a past president of the Pine Creek Area Association. I am a member of the Vestry of St. Paul's church on the Town Green. My professional career was in advertising sales for CBS, ABC and Metromedia
What are the biggest issues facing Fairfield?
Clearly, the train station issues are of tantamount importance. Honest, open communication with the public regarding decisions and contracts is critical.
Education is 70 percent of the entire budget and the central education office is not accountable to the citizens after the budget is approved. Dr. Ann Clark promised transparency and never kept us apprised of what she actually spent the money on. The board of education always had extra money in their back pocket, whereas the town cut back on infrastructure year after year.
In terms of District 1, the beach-area appraisals where ridiculously high. We have been told that the company will not be used again and that households affected should sue if they do not get their taxes reduced. Almost all of the requests for reduction of the assessment by the Board of Assessment Appeals were denied without an explanation, and a lawsuit costs even more money.
The Mill River has not been remediated for the pollutants that were caused by the Exide plant. Inco bought Exide and has promised to fix the river but has excuses year after year. According to local hospitals, the Mill River is a "cancer cluster" and the silt must be dredged sooner rather than later.
Speeding is a huge problem all over town. I have gone before the police commission and they do not believe in speed bumps or extra stop signs. Police presence is important but they cannot be everywhere.
Is Fairfield going in the right direction?
The Republicans (majority in RTM) have not been willing to work with the Democrats. This stalls the whole process. I think they need to step back and stop spending money on everything that comes across their desk.
People have had to leave town because they cannot afford their taxes, especially the older people. The cost of education has become a huge weight on the citizenry and the town infrastructure has suffered. We need to spend less money on school buildings, tennis clubs, teen center, etc. We spend money on school things instead of teachers and the curriculum. We all need to work with each other.
Aside from two current RTM members, I do not know who the District 1 members are. They are voting without asking my opinion, so they must be just voting for themselves.
What would you do to involve your constituents in your decision-making process?
When I was on the RTM I had an extensive email list in District 1. When there was a big issue or a small one, I e-mailed my constituents and asked for their opinion so that I could vote the way they wanted me to — it meant I represented them, not myself. With the strength of the Internet these days, the district would be knowledgeable and more involved in the direction of the town.
How can Fairfield avoid another Metro Center, i.e., a project that goes severely over budget? What will you do to prevent it? Be specific.
The state has pushed very hard for a third train station in Fairfield for years. It is actually in the master plan for the town, which was written years ago.
I think that there should have been a dedicated project manager for the town to keep our interests at the forefront. A three-party deal is never easy to manage because usually the individual interests vary. The developer was put under scrutiny by the conservation department for good reason — we do not want a project that will put our town at environmental risk. Connecticut was just named the second at the top of the list for breast cancer — do we need to add to that?
I think that all projects need to be pubic knowledge at every step. Monthly reports should be made available. It takes more time to make decisions but hopefully projects would be on budget and on time.
Find all of our candidates Q&As here.
