By Jack Testani
This is the third installment of a five- week series by the Trumbull Republican Town Committee, "articulating many reasons why Martha Mark is the wrong choice for Trumbull."
Trumbull RTC Chairman Jack Testani: “Mrs. Mark’s votes on the high school renovation show that she has no problem spending other people’s money, doesn’t believe in accountability and doesn’t focus on core priorities.”
TRUMBULL - - Trumbull Republican Town Committee Chairman Jack Testani on Tuesday called Democratic First Selectman candidate Martha Jankovic Mark the “single greatest threat to the taxpayers' wallet” when highlighting her votes as a member of the Town Council concerning the Trumbull High School renovation.
“In this campaign, Mrs. Mark will try to pretend she is a fiscal conservative, but the fact of the matter is that she voted to spend $73 million renovating Trumbull High School, without allowing the taxpayers to have their say,” noted Testani. “In the recent Charter revision, process, Mrs. Mark voted against the provision that would allow taxpayers the right to decide capital projects in excess of $15 million by way of a public referendum. Despite the fact that this was supported by 63 percent of the voters in 2011, Mrs. Mark did not agree. If elected, she will clearly implement her big spending agenda against the will of Trumbull taxpayers.”Testani noted other votes taken by Mark as proof that she has the wrong priorities. “During the worst economic calamity since the Great Depression, Mrs. Mark wanted to build a $5 million dollar swimming pool at a time when other schools were in desperate need of repair,” stated Testani. “On February 1, 2010, Mrs. Mark voted against a resolution that reduced the cost of the high school renovation by eliminating the construction a natatorium. On March 4, 2013 she voted against a dollar amount cap in additional scope items, when the project was more than a year over schedule. On February 4, 2013, she voted against a provision that allowed the Town to assume more work with the renovation to reduce costs and recently she voted against an audit of the Trumbull High School renovation project.”
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Before the high school renovation, Trumbull High School functioned as an emergency shelter. It was last used during Hurricane Gloria in 1985. As the project was nearing completion, a defect was discovered by the Town’s Emergency Management team that the high school could not function as an emergency shelter. Thereafter, the Chief of Police and Emergency Management Director both took the position that this needed to be an immediate priority for the Town in taking corrective action. “On September 6, 2012, Mrs. Mark abstained from creating a THS Emergency Shelter Committee, despite the fact that our Chief of Police and Emergency Management Director said it was absolutely necessary.” Testani concluded that Mark’s voting record she be a cause for concern with every Trumbullite, Republican and Democrat alike.
“Mrs. Mark’s votes on the high school renovation show that she has no problem spending other people’s money, doesn’t believe in accountability and doesn’t focus on core priorities.”
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