Monteleone's Campaign Points

I’ve read more than a few posts on the Patch claiming that John Monteleone hasn’t put forward any plans or proposals for the future.  Well – a few days ago I received a campaign letter from Mr. Monteleone – in the mail – so I thought I’d post it here so others could see it.  It’s not formatted here as an exact copy and his signature at the bottom of the page is missing – but the letter’s content is accurately reproduced.  The photo is a copy of the masthead on the letter.

Dear Neighbor:

Southbury is a great town!

Our family has lived here for 35 years and I'm sure you find as we have, that it's a wonderful community with so much to offer its residents. We have excellent schools, great shopping, restaurants, abundant recreational facilities, parks and open space; Southbury has retained that friendly small-town atmosphere.

I'm concerned for our future however, as the town has undergone a significant change in the past two years. My interest in keeping and expanding the wonderful attributes of Southbury as we move into the 21st century motivated me to run for First Selectman. As your First Selectman I promise I will work with the Board of Selectmen to:

·         Implement a Strategic Plan. I pledge to begin work on a strategic plan, as called for in our Town Charter. The plan will include a process of defining our short and long-term strategy for our town. This will help your government control spending and make decisions on allocating resources to pursue this strategy in a fiscally responsible manner.

·         Fully support the 2012 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). This plan represents the best thinking of an elected, bi-partisan team of Commissioners and is consistent with the written survey responses of over 2,000 tax paying residents.

·         Create a Blue Ribbon Standing Committee of Southbury Residents to develop a proposed plan for the Southbury Training School (STS) site. The disposition of the STS site is too important to the town's future to be left to non-Southbury residents and elected state officials. The creation of a dedicated committee is recommended in the POCD but has not been implemented by our current administration.

·         Implement Professional Management Practices within the First Selectman's position. Morale of the town staff is a key measure of the First Selectman's effectiveness. The institutional knowledge of our town employees is an invaluable resource for Southbury and their morale has plummeted with the incumbent.

·         Eliminate partisanship from the First Selectman's Office. This means I will avoid making appointments solely from one party. There are numerous examples of this. We will select appointments based on merit, not party.

·         Create a Council of the Arts to act as a focal point and catalyst for encouraging cultural activity in Southbury. This has been recommended in the past with no follow up.

·         Develop a system for encouraging volunteerism in Southbury. My plan would include generating more awareness while recognizing individuals for their contributions and achievements.

I am proud to call Southbury home and want to be part of making it an even better place for all residents and businesses. I hope you will give me the opportunity to serve you as First Selectman on Tuesday, November 5th. Please take the time to vote. If you need a ride to the polls, please call 203-264-5201 so our volunteers can arrange your transportation.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you in town!