“An informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will.”
— Thomas Jefferson
Dear Board of Selectmen:
Why is Town Hall not open? Retail is open. Large businesses and restaurants are open. Amusement parks are open. The DMV is open. Our library, especially the meeting rooms, should be open and available to the public. We should have in-person public meetings with Zoom available. Over 350 people attended a vigil in Easton. If that is possible, surely citizens should have full access to town buildings and services.
Our tax dollars pay for town services to be available to citizens. Currently citizens are permitted to go to the tax assessor’s office to pay their taxes but are denied access to all other departments. All transactions must take place by phone or email. Not all citizens can or want to conduct business by computer, but even those who do are negatively impacted by the extra aggravation of slower transactions. You cannot go inside town hall to get a permit, get a question answered, look at records, or get information. Phone response time is delayed versus in-person requests.
Some towns have pushed back on Governor Lamont’s executive orders. For example, on June 2 the Wallingford Town Council Chairman, Vincent Cervoni, issued a Resolution from the Wallingford Town Council, calling on the Governor “to put Connecticut communities back on track to full recovery with the immediate opening of the remaining businesses.” It is equally important for all government services to return to normal. Because Easton is such a small town, that is easier for us to do safely than it is for larger towns. First Selectman Bindleglass worked with Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick to restore some beach access for Easton residents. We applaud him for that effort and request that the Board of Selectmen work to do all that is possible in the Town of Easton to get government quickly back to full and normal functioning.
Sherry L. Harris, Chair, Citizens for Responsible Government
Easton, Conn.
Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) was founded by Easton resident Bud Jennings over 30 years ago and is the oldest PAC in CT. For many years the group acted as a tax watchdog. In more recent years the mission has broadened, and CRG works to protect and sustain the traditional processes of Easton governance, the Town Meeting, by raising awareness regarding important town issues. To see our most recent publication, Important Easton Issues, visit our website at https://www.eastoneye.org/.
