At tonight’s Board of Selectmen meeting (Tuesday, Feb. 17), Wilton town officials are scheduled to discuss the petition submitted by Sensible Wilton asking for a revote of the Miller-Driscoll Renovation Bond question. The group delivered 1,100 signatures to Wilton’s Town Clerk asking for a revote on the Bonding Resolution on Jan. 8.
The topic is on the meeting agenda as an item to be discussed only by the selectmen. Typically such items are not open for public comment, but all BoS meetings include a time for comments from the public at the end of the discussion period at each meeting. However, it seems protocol is being set aside to allow for public comment to follow immediately after the petition is discussed by the selectmen.
Alex Ruskewich, the president of Sensible Wilton, confirmed that members of his group will attend the BoS meeting.
“We look forward to presenting our position that the Town should hold a legal vote on the $50 million Miller-Driscoll Referendum, which is the largest capital bonding project in the Town’s history. We firmly believe that given the numerous and mounting election law violations, that the only appropriate method to address the illegalities is to hold a legal (re)vote whereby all citizens are notified and informed,” he told GOOD Morning Wilton in an emailed statement.
During the most recent Board of Selectmen meeting on Jan. 22, Brennan told other town leaders that because previous discussions on the matter have sometimes taken a heated tone, he has arranged to have a police officer present during the meeting, “…so that we treat this event in the civil manner that we all take for granted is the way we function in Wilton. Wilton has a reputation for being gracious when we discuss controversial issues, and we will do that on this particular issue also. I’m going to have a police officer here because I think it will be a lot of people here that night, and I want to make sure order will be maintained, because we have other things on the agenda.”
In addition, other town officials are scheduled to attend to take part in the discussion, including town counsel Kenneth Bernhard, Wilton schools’ superintendent Dr. Kevin Smith, and Glenn Hemmerle, the Board of Education member who also sat on the Miller-Driscoll building committee.
Sensible Wilton has filed complaints with the CT State Election Enforcement Commission alleging that town officials violated election laws prior to and during the Special Town Vote in September to approve the bonded project. Town residents narrowly approved the $50-million renovation proposal, with 979 votes cast in favor, and 952 against. Only 17-percent of the town’s eligible voters turned out to cast a vote.
The meeting will take place in Room B at Town Hall, at 238 Danbury Rd.
Members of the Boards:
I am unable to attend tonight’s meeting due to illness.
I wish to go on record however to simply state the fundamental issue that has been clouded in the media and elsewhere.
This petition seeks a revote necessitated by a number of legal violations leading up to the September vote. Nothing more, nothing less.
The vote was lost by a slim majority simply because laws were broken.
As such, a revote is desirable and necessary.
Vote proponents suggest the Town Charter does not permit a revote on bonded issues.
I suggest this is a false interpretation and should be examined by independent counsel.
It is in any event a contrived, man-made obstacle that prevents citizens from being heard by our government.
A flawed Town Charter should not be an obstacle to fair, legal voting.
As Patriots, I would expect only one decision and that is simply a revote.
The rule of law must stand or confidence in the political system will continue to decline.