SW GOP on Delnicki

As the Chair of the Republican Town Committee, why did we not endorse our Mayor, Tom Delnicki?

                That's a fair question – so here’s my answer.

Republicans believe in being good stewards of your tax dollars. We not only understand this, but we also live with the economic hardships that have affected us all. We are all unpaid volunteers, we are taxpayers,  and we work hard to ensure that every tax dollar is put to good  use.

                  And while “Less Spending = Less Taxes” sounds catchy, the town can’t afford NOT to budget adequate tax dollars in three key areas:

  Capital Projects

The Capital Projects budget is intended to address important major expenses that affect every town such as boilers, roof repair, road re-surfacing, generators, and so on.  the  hard work of the bipartisan Capital Projects committee and  recommendations to the Council to address poor financial stewardship, the Mayor slashed this budget to the point where there was no money to fix the leaks in our schools.  The end result was having to borrow money for roof repairs.

Taxpayers will now be paying interest on a project that should have been anticipated and paid for through an adequate capital projects reserve fund. While it may have looked like a good idea to short-change the capital projects budget, ultimately, it left the taxpayers paying more than they should have.

Pension Fund

                  Mayor’s current budget continues to underfund the Town’s pension fund to the point where we are at   serious risk of our credit rating being downgraded by the rating agencies. We fall far short of where any financially healthy community should be. This is a debt we've been putting off, and it's finally coming due. If we don't address this now then we risk a negative impact on our bond rating.

General Fund Balance

The general fund balance is like a savings account for South Windsor. The Republican members of the Town Council urged the Mayor not to take $800,000 from this account to balance the Mayor’s current budget. It was a very unwise fiscal maneuver that only delays meeting our obligations.  Additionally, our Town Manager warned against this action. We all know we should not borrow from tomorrow to pay for today. In fact, our general fund balance is well below the minimum percentage that rating agencies expect. This also places South Windsor in jeopardy of a negative impact on our bond rating.

So what does all of this talk about rating agencies have to do with town government?

                The answer is, everything.

                If our current AA rating is reduced to A (or below) then the cost of borrowing money, which  every municipality must do from time to time, goes up. For example, when the Town is presented later this year with a comprehensive master plan for addressing our aging elementary school facilities, the potential cost over the life of the bonds could be millions more than it needs to be, simply for the neglect of basic financial principles.

We need leadership that has the knowledge, experience, and commitment to  ensure a prosperous future for South Windsor.

                So while “Less Spending = Less Taxes” in the short-term, if we don't maintain the financial and physical integrity of the town, we will ultimately pay more and more for less and less.

                  Please contact me with your questions.

                  Kathy Daugherty

                  Chairperson

                   South Windsor Republican Town Committee