Missed the debates but want to hear from the candidates themselves? With Wilton’s 2023 municipal elections just two weeks away, it’s critical to start hearing directly from the candidates. We have the video from last night’s 90-minute Board of Finance Candidate Forum, and you can watch it the way you want — straight through or question-by-question. (Check out our story about last night’s forum, here…)
We did the same for Tuesday night’s Board of Education Candidate Forum and Thursday’s Board of Selectmen Candidate Forum. And coming in November, we’ll have our GMWVideo Interviews with each candidate and you’ll be able to watch those the same way.
And catch up on all our Election 2023 coverage here.
Full Debate
Q1: An essential fact about democracy is that some votes don’t go the way we hope they would go. Would you support a board decision you voted against? And how do you seek the balance between the board’s presentation of a united front versus your own expression of a dissenting opinion in such circumstances?
Q2: Everyone running is well-educated and qualified to meet the demands of the respective boards. What differentiates you, and how will your vision and skills serve Wilton now and in the years to come?
Q3: Today our Town’s Charter allows for the Board of Finance to unilaterally reduce a Board of Selectmen’s and/or a Board of Education’s budget. Should the charter be revisited to amend this?
Q4: Do you feel that the conduct in this election has been civil on the part of candidates? And what have you yourself done to try to help make and keep it so?
Q5: Please describe examples of proactive investments in any area that you would propose or support in order to attract families to Wilton and stimulate economic growth.
Q6: Do you believe the Board of Finance should provide budget guidance?
Q7: Will you support and approve funding for the remaining master planning recommended by the POCD [Plan of Conservation and Development]?
Q8: What effect do you think higher interest rates would have on the Town of Wilton’s budget?
Q9: How do you think the Board of Finance performed last year?
Q10: Does the Board of Education provide sufficient transparency in their budget?
Closing Statements
I didn’t see anything to suggest that the Republicans would vote any differently than their budget-slashing compatriots, or that they see anything wrong with the BOF’s current practice as far as second-guessing the BOE budget (or leaning heavily on a deeply conceptually flawed survey) in general.
Tatkow’s response starting at 4:15 on Question 9 does a good job of articulating the Democratic position on last year’s budget mess (albeit way more politely than I would).
Question 3 is also a good quick outline of their respective philosophies, though Mr. Iyer seems to have no idea what the charter discussion is about (which is particularly odd since even the most conservative Republican on the BOF has endorsed the idea of amending it).