Herbst, Thornton Defend Their Records

First Selectman Tim Herbst defended his two percent tax increases and hiring an engineering company to oversee sewer work in north Nichols, among other topics in the first debate with his democratic opponent, Mary Beth Thornton. 

The hour-long debate drew a capacity crowd at  Thursday night. It was sponsored by the Trumbull Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Bridgeport and the Trumbull Parent/Teacher/Student Association.

Each candidate had two minutes to answer the questions, written by the audience, and 30 seconds to rebut.

The Questions and the Answers

• Charter Revision Ballot Question 2, automatic referendum for bonding requests of at least $15 million:
  • Herbst: "I think it's important to recognize the Charter Revision Commission endorsed this unanimously. It's important to be part of the process." The town's bonded debt has grown to $141 million, and "is going to affect our annual debt service," eventually affecting property taxes. The $68 million renovation bonding "should have been put before the voters." Other schools will need repairs in the coming years, and it's necessary to establish a consistent capital plan. However, the town must be careful how it proceeds because it is reaching a bonding threshold that could endanger the town's AA2 rating.
  • Thornton: "I agree with the first selectman," she said. "The bonding that we've done over the years has been very balanced." But the number $15 million "could be a bit arbitrary." She said she agreed with the process and that the change should be part of charter revision.
•  Changing the charter to give the Town Treasurer power over the school superintendent's expenses:
  • Thornton: "This modification does not comply with state statute," she said. The Board of Education budget is separate from the municipal budget and the town cannot control how the district spends its money. She cited the town taking control of an employee health care account, which the town later returned after an attorney hired by the school board called the move illegal. "We saw that this was an illegal move," she said.
  • Herbst: He said the Charter Revision Commission unanimously approved the changes and several attorneys reviewed everything. "It exists in other municipalities in the state of Connecticut." The board's organization has to be changed because it violates state law, he added. Opponents can seek redress in court, he said, noting that both the town and the school board use taxpayer funds. On another note, he said the charter changes empower voters.
• The Police Department Cell Tower:
  • Herbst: "It is critical for our officers to be able to communicate," he said. The problem led to a police sergeant having to call for backup on his cellphone while dealing with a gunman because his radio didn't work. He added he has spent 18 months dealing with T-Mobile in reducing the tower's height without compromising police communications. Ultimately the decision lies with the state Siting Council. The Town Council shouldn't have approved the contract in the first place, Herbst said.
  • Thornton: The tower may be necessary, but its height has changed and its neighbors need to be heard. She is the Town Council minority leader and has been working with the majority leader to gain intervenor status in the matter. "This is what we've been looking for: just dialogue." She added that the police chief asked the council to approve the tower and the Planning and Zoning Commission, led by Herbst, recommended the tower.
• Sewage treatment:
  • Thornton: She serves on the bipartisan committee reviewing the town's sewage treatment options. The contract with Bridgeport expires in 2012. "I would be happy to look at regionalization but only if the best interests of Trumbull are served. We must get the best end of the deal," she said.
  • Herbst: It would cost $80 to $100 million and take several years for the town to get approval and build its own treatment plant. "I don't believe that the town can sustain that level of debt service," he said. But renegotiation is not the best option because of Bridgeport's sewage infrastructure, which needs to be upgraded to separate storm water and sewage. Trumbull's rates rank among the state's highest. The town should have thought about this when it started adding more sewers.
• What should be bonded?
  • Herbst: Operating expenses should not be bonded. Anything that is bonded should last more than a year and, ideally, at least 20 years. Town roads, some of which have been paved since 2009, should last at least 20 years. The capital plan approved last year included new plows and other town equipment that needs to last at least 20 years. Finally, he cited a 92 percent increase in town spending in the past eight years under former First Selectman Ray Baldwin Jr. 
  • Thornton: Use shorter, five-year bonds, on bonded items that have shorter lives. "We have to be very careful at this point." She charged that bonding "has kept taxes artificially low." Town roads haven't been paved in two years, she added. The town is repaving 16 roads this year, Herbst responded.
• Economic Development:
  • Thornton: "Economic development is critical at this point. Economic Development has seen some really good things lately," such as the expansion of the and the opening of the Home Depot. "Increasing the commercial tax base should happen only according to the Master Plan. We have a Main Street that still looks like an old-time main street." She added that the economic development director's position should be filled quickly, because "every day it's empty is another missed opportunity for economic development in our town." She would first reach out to existing businesses in town if elected.
  • Herbst: The town is 98 percent developed and the town's residential character needs to be preserved while keeping existing businessess here and attracting new ones. "We need to keep a modest and predictable tax rate," he said. He said average annual tax increases of six percent drove out some businesses. It's also critical to finish revitalizing Trumbull's downtown, he added. The town should attract the medical and research and development industries, Herbst concluded.
• Trumbull's Pension Plan:
  • Herbst: Herbst's budgets included increased contributions to the pension plan. "We need to reduce our unfunded liability" and move toward defined contribution plans instead of traditional pensions. Partly because of its pension solutions, the town's bond rating remained steady among its neighbors, which were placed on watch lists. The town is working with all municipal employees to close the pension gap and "bold, hard action" is needed to fix the problem.
  • Thornton: "Our pension needs to be modified and enhanced. We need to work with the unions" to move into different plans. It will take a lot of money to fill the pension gap. "Bold, hard action would not work with unions and that would not be my approach," she said.
• Third-party oversight of capital projects: 
  • Herbst: Third-party oversight helped save money in the Trumbull High School renovations and has saved money on Phase IV sewer work in north Nichols. Without oversight, there were millions in change orders and sewer work was botched, Herbst said. "It's as much about cost as it is quality control," he said.
  • Thornton: She said she believes in third-party oversight but objects to hiring the firm Tighe & Bond at a cost so far of $1.8 million. She added that while other costs have been spread out over the town, north Nichols will be paying the firm's costs. The town could have hired new engineers at a cheaper rate instead of paying Tighe & Bond, she added.
• Impacts of full-day kindergarten, school reconfiguration and charter revisions: 
  • Thornton: "We've lost programs, like Latin and SAT preparation." There are 30 children in chemistry labs. "We have portables in most of the schools." She said all-day kindergarten required a lot of thought. "Can it be sustained? You have to promise a program that can be sustained." Regarding charter changes, she said changing all Board of Education terms to two years could lead to total turnover every two years with new, inexperienced members reviewing budgets. "It is not easy. There is a huge learning curve," she said, adding that she has reviewed eight school budgets.
  • Herbst: All members of the Board of Education should be elected, not like under the current board structure. All day-kindergarten should be implemented, in part to maintain the town's highly-ranked school district. All-day kindergarten is possible because of declining enrollment, and could cost $296,000, Herbst said, citing a report from the district. "We've talked about it for 25 years. It is time we do it."