Charter revision changes for good

Mary Jane Lundgren’s letter (The News-Times, Oct. 19) opposing the proposed Charter Revisions could not be more hypocritical. Additionally, her words reflect the Democratic Town Committee’s desire to 1) prevent New Milford citizens from having more direct power and 2) be obstructionists of the growth and transparency championed by Mayor Pete Bass’ administration.

Voters should not be surprised at Lundgren’s bitterness, considering her overwhelming 2016 defeat for State Representative and the 2017 defeat of a mayor whose water Lundgren carried through two years of mistakes. In that same election, New Milford fired Lundgren from the Town Council that abused its power under the Gronbach administration.

Lundgren’s letter makes the outrageous statement that the Mayor and Town Council will be out of the budget process should the proposed revisions passed. False! The Mayor and Town Council will have the same power every Mayor and Town Council have in all other town meeting governments in Connecticut. The Board of Finance will have the role state law intends a Board of Finance to have, like all other surrounding towns.

Perhaps Lundgren’s bitterness is motivated by the fact that, if approved, the Town Charter will prevent future Mayors and Town Councils from abusing their power as done during the Gronbach administration. If approved, never again will an outgoing Mayor be able to rush through appointments to boards in his/her last days in office, as Gronbach attempted. Never again will a Mayor —with a Town Council’s rubber-stamp — be able to raid the Landfill Settlement Fund without approval of the Board of Finance, and New Milford citizens in a town meeting.

Preventing abuse of power with more transparency. Giving more say to residents. That’s what the Charter Revisions are all about.

Vote yes on Nov. 6th.

Lisa M. Agee New Milford