News

Letter: Colm Dobbyn for Town Council

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Editor, New Canaanite;

Electing Colm Dobbyn to our Town Council this November makes tremendous sense. Colm brings a strongly analytical mind (a highly successful corporate attorney specializing in intellectual property rights and technology), coupled with a well-founded sense of what makes New Canaan such a special and vital community (a 24-year resident with more than a decade serving on our Inlands Wetlands Commission) together with a commitment to open and transparent governance conducted with respect and civility. I have known Colm for more than a decade and had the privilege of serving with him on the town’s Wetlands Commission for seven of those years. He works hard on behalf of our town, and represents the kind of talent and leadership we need on—and that Colm will bring to the Town Council. New Canaan needs Colm’s talent, dedication, and intellect to help lead our town through the challenging and potentially difficult times ahead.

Government

New Canaan Town Treasurer Candidates Differ on Role of Elected Position, Qualifications at Debate

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None of the material weaknesses that auditors have identified in New Canaan’s finances in recent years have been the town treasurer’s responsibility, a candidate for the elected office said this week. Nevertheless, the identification of those weaknesses became a focal point for many in New Canaan and what Democrat Rob Fryer said he would do if elected town treasurer is “see that this doesn’t happen again.”

“What CPAs do who work in auditing in large corporate environments—and probably municipal governments, as well—is work with clients to eliminate material weaknesses as and when they occur and as and when arise,” Fryer told more than 150 people gathered Monday night at Town Hall for a debate. He added: “I have had the experience of years and years of eliminating material weaknesses, working with clients to do so and, if I am elected, the town will be my client and I will see that these things get addressed promptly.”

The incumbent town treasurer who is seeking re-election, Republican Andrew Brooks, said that it’s “important to know who has ultimate responsibility for remediating weaknesses” and noted that he was “one of the first people to support the creation of the town’s Audit Committee and commended members of the Town Council for their wisdom in creating that committee.”

A change in personnel at the top of the Finance Department, primarily, led to the elimination of all material weaknesses identified in New Canaan’s finances, Brooks said, and “it is important to know that the town treasurer is not part of the Finance Department.”

“I am totally independent of the Finance Department for the purposes of checks and balances,” he said. Brooks said further that the chairman of the Audit Committee recently made it clear “that there have never been any material weaknesses or deficiencies in my performance as treasurer, and that all the issues that were in the Finance Department, the material weaknesses have been remediated because of my recommendations and the Audit Committee’s recommendations finally being implemented.”

The pair debated during the League of Women Voters’ Candidates Forum. Candidates in all contested races for this year’s municipal election participated, including first selectman and Town Council.

News

Letter: Current Environment Favors Kevin Moynihan for First Selectman

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Our first selectman candidates and our voters seem to agree on the major issues of the election: limiting spending and taxes, lack of parking, and getting 20th century cell service. Whatever the election’s outcome, I am glad that both of our first selectman candidates will sit on the Board of Selectmen. The question is who will be in the leadership position. Our infrastructure projects require negotiating with large corporations with bottomless budgets for clever, hardnosed lawyers. Kevin’s professional experience was in dealing with corporations of this heft and power.

News

Letter: ‘Lifelong Republican’ Urges Others To Vote Kit Devereaux for First Selectman

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Sir:

As a Republican, indeed a lifelong Republican, I find myself impelled to write to express my whole-hearted support for the better candidate this year for first selectman, the significantly more qualified candidate for first selectman, and in fact, from my perspective, the only temperamentally equipped, experientially qualified candidate: Kit Devereaux. I urge New Canaan voters, however registered, whether affiliated with a party or not, to do as I intend to do: vote on November 7 for Kit Devereaux for first selectman. In today’s political world, characterizations and categories seem increasingly to predominate in determining how and for whom to vote. But for me, the only characterization that matters is competence; the only category is community commitment. Kit reflects both.

News

Letter: ‘Growing Number’ of Republicans Support Devereaux and Fryer

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As has been written recently, the races for town office should be focused on electing the best candidates. For first selectman and treasurer, the best candidates are Kit Devereaux and Rob Fryer respectively, who happen to be Democrats. A growing number of Republicans have come to that conclusion as well. Kit has been an active leader in nearly all facets of our town, and has served with distinction, grace, wisdom and a spirit of collaboration. Unlike her opponent’s divisive actions (remember his commuting flyer in which he called us “suits” vs.