FIRST SELECTMAN
Carol A. Manning (D) 1,236
Carl P. Fortuna (R) 2,250

SELECTMAN
Steven S. Gernhardt (D) 1,270
Scott M. Giegerich (R) 2,168

TOWN TREASURER
Robert W. Fish (R) 2,532

BOARD OF FINANCE
Henry A. Conte (D) 1,388
John P. Duhig (D) 1,235
John J. O’Brien (D) 1,824
Thomas D. Stevenson (R) 2,112
Derrik M. Kennedy (R) 2,012

BOARD OF FINANCE (FILLING VACANCY)
Craig M. Cooke (D) 1,536
Brad Thorpe (R) 1,733

BOARD OF EDUCATION
George Chang (D) 1,784
Salvatrice F. Keating (D) 1,414
Kimberly O. Lacey (D) 1,588
Vito Savino (R) 1,923
Mario Gaboury (R) 2,028
Kelley Kennedy (R) 2,088

BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS
Cornelius B. McCrudden (D) 1,248
Julien Brookson (D) 1,197
Ruth FitzGerald (R) 1,877
Sharon Tiezzi (R) 2,065

PLANNING COMMISSION
Cathryn M. Flanagan (D) 1,877
Robert J. McIntyre (R) 1,857
Robert D. Missel (R) 2,174
David Shearer (R) 2,276

ZONING COMMISSION
John T. Talbott (D) 1,758
Elizabeth D. Steffen (D) 1,588
Charles E. Sohl (R) 2,087
Madeleine B. Fish (R) 2,263

ZONING COMMISSION ALT.
Thomas C. Farnham, Jr. (R) 2,299

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Adam J. Stillman (D) 1,954
Philip Broadhurst (R) 2,177

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS ALT.
Carl C. Garbe (D) 1,947

POLICE COMMISSION
Emilo J. Scamporino (D) 1,181
John F. DeCristoforo (D) 1,463
Adam M. Stuart (D) 1,550
David R. Dunlap (R) 1,705
Ernest Sparaco (R) 1,650
J. Robert Finch (R) 1,718

PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
Susan E. Etsy (D) 2,128
Thomas E. Boland (R) 2,148
Susan M. Cummins (R) 2,242
Steven A. Murphy (R) 2,199

HARBOR MGMT COMMISSION
George E. Wall (D) 1,933
Richard L. Goduti (D) 1,693
Leslie A. Bowman (R) 2,115

HARBOR MGMT COMMISSION – TO FILL VACANCY
David J. Cole (R) 2,330

Fortuna at Founders Park, built by First Selectman Michael Pace

Carl Fortuna exudes confidence. He is confident that he has served Old Saybrook well over the past 10 years as a Member and Chairman of the Board of Finance. He is confident that he has put together a strong campaign to become the town’s First Selectman, and he is optimistic about his chances on Election Day, November 8.

Over the past twelve years Republican Michael Pace has governed Old Saybrook as First Selectman. During this period Pace compiled an unprecedented record of rebuilding the physical face of the town. These improvements include: the historic building of the Katherine Hepburn Theater, the construction of the new Town Hall, the construction a new town recreation building, the renovation of the town’s fire house, and, perhaps most notable of all, the completely new look of the Main Street of Old Saybrook.

Candidate Fortuna helps getting the lawn signs ready

The man with the town checkbook, behind this raft of improvements, has been Carl Fortuna, who for ten years has served under Pace as both a Member and then Chairman of the town’s all important Board of Finance. Now Fortuna is running to succeed Mike Pace.

Fortuna maintains that Pace’s building spree has not created an impossible fiscal burden for the town. In fact, he says that the town’s current “debt level is very manageable.” However, Fortuna acknowledges that any bond issues in the future will have to be carefully tuned”

By way of background Fortuna, in addition to his Board of Finance duties, is a practicing attorney with an office in Middletown. When asked at a recent public appearance how he would manage being a practicing attorney and the town’s First Selectman at the same time, his response was that, if elected, he would be “a full time First Selectman.”

In fact, he points out that the Town Charter specifies that the First Selectman’s job is to be a full time position. However, Fortuna has said that on a limited basis he would consider representing private clients so long as it does not interfere with his First Selectman’s obligations. “I have two partners in Middletown that will handle my caseload,” he says.

Republican headquarter on Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook

Illustrative of the fact that Fortuna is capable of engaging in the business of the town, while at the same time practicing law, is the very active role that he has played on the town’s Board of Finance for the past ten years. Having been at the financial heart of town government for many years, also lends credence to Fortuna’s assertion that when he assumes the job of First Selectman, “I can hit the ground running.”

There will be a very short time to learn the ropes for those who are newly entering town government. After the election on November 8, fourteen days later, on November 22, these newcomers will take the offices that they were elected to serve.
As Chairman of the seven member Board of Finance, Fortuna has been primarily responsible for review of the town budget, a task which Fortuna says is “a laborious process.” It is wide ranging as well. In fact, the Board of Finance is already considering issues for future budgets of 2012 and 2013.

In coming up with town budgets the Board of Finance may, in any given year, hold as many as 15 meetings and three public hearings on the budget.

The climax of the budgetary process is when the Board of Finance seeks the approval of the budget by residents of the town. The first step in the process is a hearing to solicit comments from town residents on the town’s next year’s budget. After this public hearing the new town budget is put before a referendum of town voters.

Fortuna notes that during his period of service on the Board of Finance not a single town budget has been turned down by the voters in referendum. “It shows that we have done our job correctly,” he says.

To assist in public understanding of the budget in advance of its life or death referendum, Fortuna has held workshops on the budget for those interested. If elected First Selectman he says that all meetings on town budgets and other issues will be held in the evening, when the public can more easily attend.

Fortuna confers with Cal Calderella, Republican Town Chairman

Major policy questions facing Old Saybrook
According to Fortuna there are two major policy areas that must be addressed in managing the Town of Old Saybrook in the future: 1) fiscal questions, especially those relating to real property taxes in the town and 2) preserving the quality of life of the town.

In the fiscal area, the major issues are fourfold. The first is the falling real property values in town. In fact, the next revaluation may show property values in Old Saybrook have declined by over 20 percent. This means that fewer property tax dollars will be paid to the town without a mil rate rise.

Second, there will, very likely, be a decrease in state aid to the town this year as well, concomitant with the changing of the state aid formula for education. Also, the fact that the state characterizes Old Saybrook as a wealthier town means the town gets less state aid dollars than other towns. It all comes down to, as Fortuna put it, “We are going to get less.”

The third major issue with fiscal implications facing the Town of Old Saybrook in Fortuna’s view is the town’s innovative waste water management program. The town created its Water Pollution Control Authority to deal with this issue.

Faced with a lawsuit and a court order, Old Saybrook was required to develop a plan for sewerage treatment. “This has been the defining town issue over the past fifteen years,” says Fortuna, “and it will continue to be one for the next ten years.”

What the town has come up with so far is a decentralized sewerage treatment program, which will be first of its kind in the state.
Rather than having one large, town sewerage treatment plant, Old Saybrook plans to rely on individual homeowners to put in place their own upgraded septic systems, pursuant to precise specifications and subject to regular inspection. As Fortuna points out, the plan could turn out to be “a very costly project” for the town and therefore will require good management.

The fourth issue on the candidate’s list of major issues is that the town is going to have to build, and pay for, a new Police Department headquarters. The department’s old Main Street headquarters is completely “unsustainable for operations,” according to a recent report by the Town’s structural engineer.

Under the category of a quality of life issue in Fortuna’s mind is the attempt to develop the Preserve. The “so-called” Preserve is a 1,000 acre tract of privately owned land, heavily forested, and mostly located within the boundaries of Old Saybrook.

The Town’s Planning Commission not too long ago approved a proposed development on the property. The approvals have been challenged in court, but Fortuna fears that the Commission’s approvals will ultimately be upheld.

Fortuna feels strongly that, “Building on that land [the Preserve] would be bad fiscally and environmentally for the Town of Old Saybrook. These are the last 1,000 acres of the coastal forest in the State,” he notes.

Also, he feels, “To develop the property will place a financial burden on the town,” because of “the infrastructure requirements” that would be “onerous to the town.” “I think we need to cause a ruckus to oppose this development,” Fortuna says. “We need to make it a statewide, even national cause.”

Fortuna’s running mate, Scott Giegerich
As for the background of Scott Giegerich, he is the Principal of the Middle School in Portland and the Associate Principal of the town’s Secondary School as well. He and his wife, Joanne, have educated all of their three children in Old Saybrook public schools, and Joanne Giegerich is a teacher in the Old Saybrook school system.

So far Fortuna and his running mate for Selectman post, Scott Giegerich, have sent out five campaign mailings.
On the subject of education, Fortuna notes in a campaign flyer that the Board of Finance under his leadership has fully funded with fiscally responsible budgets the following projects:

Renovation of the high school and middle school; New watering system on the high school fields; Improvement of the day to day maintenance; and Resealing of the high school track and tennis courts.

Also, in an advertisement the campaign claims that “The Fortuna-Giegerich Team” stands for: Protecting our town’s finances; Continuing educational excellence; Dealing with economic challenges; Respecting the environment, and Transparency in government.
Another campaign piece is headlined, “Life is Good in Old Saybrook.” Among the factors listed: “Over the past 10 years as chairman of the Board of Finance Carl Fortuna has provided the steady leadership that makes Old Saybrook a great and affordable place to live.” The piece continues, “The mill rate has remained low, while fully funding the Town’s service needs in Education, Public Safety and Public Works.”

Also noted is that, “Over the last 10 years Old Saybrook has: Enacted firefighter tax abatements; Enacted the elderly circuit breaker helping our seniors stay in their homes; Maintained a stable rainy day fund; and Improved the Town’s bond rating.”

The piece ends with the campaign’s mantra,
”Let’s keep it that way.”

Those interested should download our official invitation and promptly return it to Sharon Migliacchio.

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On Tuesday, responding to criticism from House Republican Leader Larry Cafero which pointed out that the state’s non-partisan Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA) could not verify the projected savings of nearly $800 million of the projected $1.6 billion in savings, Malloy spokesperson Colleen Flanagan tartly responded that “actuaries verified these numbers. Period.”

“Turns out the ‘period’ was actually a question mark,” said Cafero. “There was no ‘misunderstanding.’ When I raised these questions yet again this week, noting that after two months the non-partisan OFA still couldn’t verify the savings in this concessions deal, it was brushed aside by his office with the assurance that actuaries had verified all of these numbers. Now Secretary Barnes rather clearly states only two areas of the plan were verified.”

“This means two things, and they are both important,” added Cafero. “First, the governor’s office has been less than factual in their wholesale assurances of actuarial reviews. Second, the question still persists – how will we achieve these projected savings, and what will we do if they can’t be realized?”

“The letter from Secretary Barnes raises more questions by pointing out that there is no valid methodology in arriving at their numbers but we should just trust that they will get there. We had been told that this budget was going to be based on cuts to programs, state employee concessions and tax increases. We know there are no real cuts to programs, as this budget spends $900 million more that the prior budget. And now it appears the concession savings are equally fictitious. The only things in this budget we know are real are the tax increases – $3.6 billion worth over the next two years, the pain of which they have only begun to feel with payroll deductions this week.”

“I’m excited to have someone with Jim Conroy’s depth of experience and commitment to our Party spearheading our transition,” said Labriola. “Jim has my complete confidence, and we look forward to working with our membership and activists as we begin to grow our organization and prepare for the Municipal elections.”

As Transition Executive Director, Conroy will lead staff operations during the new administration’s transition. Additionally, Conroy will serve as the primary contact for members of the media.

Conroy is a veteran of numerous statewide and local campaigns in Connecticut and has worked for the Republican National Committee and the McCain presidential campaign. He has recently returned to his home state after a brief stint with the Republican Party of Wisconsin. This will be his third tour of duty with the Connecticut Republican Party, having previously served as Political Director in 2002 and Victory Director in 2006.

Contact:

Jim Conroy
860-983-3730
jconroy@ctgop.org

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• 38% approve of Governor Malloy’s handling of his job as Governor
• 52% disapprove of the way Governor Malloy handled the State budget
• 65% say there should have been bigger spending cuts and smaller tax increases
• 59% say the new state budget has the middle class making financial sacrifices that are more than their fair share

“Governor Malloy and the Democrats in Hartford are selling a brand of governing that Connecticut families cannot afford and do not want,” according to Connecticut Republicans Chief of Staff, Liz Kurantowicz.

“With $3.4 Billion in new taxes on everything from over the counter medicine and clothes for the kids to income tax increases and reduction in property tax credits, Connecticut families have had enough “shared sacrifice,” said Kurantowicz.

“Under the leadership of House Republican Leader Larry Cafero and Senate Republican Leader John McKinney, Republicans in Hartford offered budget alternatives that protect the middle class, spur job creation and cut government spending,” said Kurantowicz. “Republicans in Hartford are standing up for Connecticut families and businesses who are getting stuck with the bill from Governor Malloy who can’t find a tax he doesn’t want to raise or a government program he doesn’t want to fund.”