Is It Time for a Change in Colebrook?

Is It Time for a Change in Colebrook?

By Manuel Cords, Colebrook

Colebrook's tax increases far exceed the rate of inflation. In the fiscal year ending in 2000 the mill rate was 24.71; in the fiscal year ending in 2002 the mill rate is 33.17—a 34% increase in three years. For most in Colebrook, some of this tax increase was mitigated by house property values that have declined, as demonstrated by the most recent revaluation. And if your Colebrook taxes stayed the same or rose only modestly, it is because your real estate values have declined. Declining real estate values can adversely affect your individual balance sheet, your ability to get a mortgage and your net worth.

What is it about the tax burdens of Colebrook property owners that George Wilber does not understand? Has Colebrook adopted policies that increase real estate values and stabilize tax burdens? Will Colebrook's increasing tax burdens continue to erode the value of homes there? Should the many big projects that George Wilber has now become famous for be reined in, or should we spend what we don't have? Should every expense item be examined with greater care? Does the town need a first selectman with some vision and a greater desire and ability to access public and private grant monies, whether for aspects of municipal government or for additional programs to keep the Senior Center vibrant? Or should we stick with the same old, same old? Is it time for a change in Colebrook?

Should Colebrook remain a rural town, where rural activities are the norm, not the exception, or should we pave each and every dirt road as George Wilber attempted to do earlier this summer? Should we develop long range plans for dealing with the influx of school-age children, not only to keep school budget increases within reason, but even more importantly, to assure that the education paid for by our town is first class? Should we cut corners today so that we can pay a far higher cost down the road, or should what the town does be done right and done right the first time so that we don't have to do it twice? Is it time for a change in Colebrook?

Should we focus on economic development? Should we try to attract some low-impact commercial taxpayers to help mitigate our tax burdens? Has George Wilber done anything constructive in this area in the last sixteen years? Do we need a focused effort in this respect, one that the current selectmen have not been able to mount? Is it time for a change in Colebrook?

Can we improve the administration of the town? Should we upgrade the management systems and administrative controls in operating the town government? Should we reward excellence? There is no question that in many cases town employees have performed excellently. Should we have clear standards, or should we continue to be at the whim of the first selectman? Should services to the town be competitively bid? Should we take a long hard look at expenses—for example, our various energy costs, particularly in the wake of last year's energy price spikes—and examine whether we can mitigate some of these? Should we examine ways to improve our bond rating, which is lower than the ratings in some of the surrounding towns?

Should we look out beyond a year or two in our financial projections, or should we stumble along, blind to the more distant future until it bites us for having been foolish in the past? Should we do total cost accounting on our large projects so that the public will have a better idea of what these projects really cost, or should a hee-haw filibuster dissuade us from looking too closely? Do we need to improve our management systems and our ability to project the effect of a project into the future in order to make sensible decisions, or is the back of a napkin sufficient? Is it time for a change in Colebrook?

Do we need town government that is open and transparent, where there is broad-based participation, where issues are laid out freely and do not disguise some hidden agenda, where public officials are forthright, honest and truthful? Do we need to get back to government for the people and by the people? There can be no question that Colebrook's citizen committees, commissions and agencies are alive and well. Should they have greater support from the town in carrying out their work?

Do the selectmen need to listen? Does the first selectman have all the answers, or would better policy emerge from discussion, dialogue and debate among those affected? Should the first selectman stir the pot and pit one group against another, or should he seek to build consensus? Should decisions be free of conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest? Should agendas be set without the possibility of personal gain? Is it time for a change in Colebrook?

On November 6, Colebrook voters have a clear choice. They can vote for the same old, same old, or they can vote for me, Manuel Cords, for first selectman and Alan R. White, who is running for selectman. I am 53 years old and have been an investment advisor for thirteen years; prior to that I was a practicing attorney for almost fifteen years. I moved to Colebrook in 1994 and have lived in the area since 1991. I am experienced in budgetary, financial and legal matters.

Alan R. White, 38, is running for selectman. He feels he can bring to the job skills that he has learned throughout his 20-year career with the Department of Transportation. Presently he is a Transportation General Supervisor assigned to the North Canaan maintenance garage. He grew up in Colebrook and attended local schools. Alan and his wife, Shannon, live on Pinney Street in Colebrook and are both members of the Colebrook Volunteer Fire Department, where Alan was past Deputy Chief of the Center Company. He is also a member of the Norfolk Ambulance—which serves part of Colebrook—and is the town's emergency management director.

Is it time for a change in Colebrook? You decide.