LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF WESTON ONLINE VOTERS GUIDE 2011
NEWS
SWEARING IN CEREMONY 2011-2013 TOOK PLACE TUESDAY NOVEMBER
15, 2011 AT 6PM IN THE TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM...
ELECTION 2011 RESULTS
LINK TO
LWV OF WESTON 2011 VOTERS GUIDE
Election
Day Tuesday, November 8, 2011 - Reminder to bring ID
THE
BALLOT:
24 columns...1-11 on the front and 12-24 on the
back...Democrats on Row 'A' Republicans Row 'B'
What the ballot will
actually look like...link to Secretary of the
State's website here: DON'T
FORGET
TO VOTE ON BOTH SIDES OF IT!
The
Weston FORUM attended and will report fully. Online now,
to be on Channel 79 soon - viewing times to come...more
pictures here (non-League
site)
POLICE COMMISSION & BOARD OF SELECTMEN
DEBATE VIDEO
Total
Length: 2 hours 0 minutes 11 seconds
Best viewed
via Internet Explorer, which will automatically open Windows Media
Player and begin playback while the file downloads. Other
web browser programs may not start playback until the download
completes, which may take a considerable amount of time (depending
on your connection speed).
FOR
CLOSE UP PHOTOS OF CANDIDATES, NON-LEAGUE SITE, CLICK
HERE
MORE TO
COME, INCLUDING NEWSPAPER COVERAGE...2 weeks left in the
campaign.
Police
Commission
candidates started the double-debate (@45 minutes)...and there
were so many questions for the Police Commission that some
thought we should revisit this discussion after the election
for the community to get their queries out...
THE SELECTMEN DEBATED FOR AN HOUR AND
A QUARTER...
The final debate was Board
of Selectmen. It probably was long enough to give
those present an idea about the familiar as well as the
one new candidate.
Weston FORUM text of reports on Finance debate
Or click here
for online story
including pictures...
Considering
that
the Town Hall parking lots were full when League was setting
up in late morning, the crowd and candidates managed to arrive
in time!
BOARD
OF FINANCE DEBATE SATURDAY, OCT. 15, 2011 AT 1:30 P.M. IN
TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM - ALMOST EVERY SEAT TAKEN!!!
Televised
live
and re-run daily on Channel 79 4p.m. First question
from League: "How
does the Board of Finance balance Weston's unique
character with the need to remain fiscally viable?"
LWVCT
Moderator in charge!
During the course of questions and answers, this was the scene
in the Town Hall Meeting Room. Blow up same view -
Parties checking up on each other's facts and quite intense as
the debate progressed.
IN WESTPORT
Democrat Steve Ezzes reports how Board of Finance works in
Westport, where he was a member for 10 years prior to moving
to Weston some years ago and two years ago being appointed
to replace David Muller, when Selectman Muller was elected
to the Board of Selectmen in 2009..
Ezzes goes first on the ethical
issue. Reply
from Republican Jerry Sargent...
Board of Ethics advisory report discussed; comment that "two
boards have found this a conflict" - leads Jerry Sargent to point
out that as of October 15, today, only one "board." (Town Attorney
was of divided opinion.)
David Finkel responds
Candidate
explains that all work is finished and the payment in
dispute is in effect the result of giving the Board of
Education two years to pay instead of billing when the
work was completed this past summer.
How
the
Town of Weston and Board of Ed. work together
Republican
Michael
Carter, giving credit to Insurance Advisory
Committee, of which he was a member under Chairmanship
of Democrat Mike O'Brien, explains how Weston grew
its surplus from $2 million to $7 million and why, as well
as how the Board of Education is able to have funds to go
back and forth on difference types of insurance plans (you
can't do this unless you have funds to pay off "tail" or
bills that come in after the change is made).
After an
hour and a half of questions and answers, the debate was over!
RESULTS OF BALLOT
LOTTERY SEPT. 14TH @9:15a.m.
LAURA SMITS
(D), SUSAN MORAN (R), REGISTRARS OF VOTERS
Ballot
Lottery's importance explained to assistants Teresa Brasco (R) and
Francine Goldstein (D).
LEAGUE DEBATES:
CAMPAIGN 2011
LWV sets up three debates - which will be recorded and
repeated on the Town TV Channel 79 until Election Day
November 8.
- The first is
just for the Board of Finance, on Saturday, October 15,
2011 at 1:30pm, at Town Hall - over now!
- The following Saturday, October 22, 2011 in the
morning, is a special
LWV DOUBLE DEBATE, beginning at 10:30am with the Police
Commission and then the Board of Selectmen, at Weston
Library's Community Room.
2011 CAMPAIGN AS IT
BEGINS: 32 candidates
- 13 Democrats
and 19 Republicans
Republican
petition for Board of
Finance - David P. Finkel
Both
Parties complete Caucus process.
Democrat's Certificate
of
Party
Endorsement here
Republican's Certificate
of
Party
Endorsement here
Weston ethics board asked for
opinion on conflict of interest question about candidate
Weston FORUM
Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Wednesday, 14 September 2011 11:49
The Weston Board of Ethics has been asked to look into whether
a candidate in November’s municipal election would have a
conflict of interest if he were to be elected.
Barbara Reynolds, chairman of the Weston Democratic Town
Committee (DTC) and Mike O’Brien, Democratic chairman of the
finance board, sent a letter to the Board of Ethics dated
Sept. 12 asking for an opinion.
“We are writing this letter to ask the Board of Ethics for an
opinion on whether or not Mr. David Finkel, a candidate for
the Board of Finance, has a ‘conflict of interest,’ as defined
in the Weston Town Charter, with regard to his serving on the
Board of Finance should he be elected,” the letter said.
Ms. Reynolds and Mr. O’Brien say in the letter that Mr.
Finkel, a Republican, “approached the Weston Board of
Education to sell the services of his company, Expense
Reduction Analysts, with regard to purchasing various office
supplies... Mr. Finkel’s company will receive 50% of the cost
savings that are earned over the next two years.”
Several weeks ago, Jo-Ann Keating, director of finance and
operations, said the school district had been given the OK by
the school board to sign an agreement with Expense Reduction
Analysts (ERA); Mr. Finkel is the client manager for ERA.
By following ERA’s recommendations, ERA estimates the district
will see a total of $164,000 in savings — before fees — over
the course of the next three years, Dr. Keating said. The
schools will also get a signing bonus.
ERA — and thus Mr. Finkel — does earn a fee for its work.
[Please read the rest of this article in the archives at the Weston FORUM website]
Petitioners had until yesterday to get on Nov. 8 ballot or
to force a primary in Weston
Weston FORUM
Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Thursday, 11 August 2011 00:00
Yesterday, Wednesday, Aug. 10, at 4 p.m. was the deadline for
petitioning candidates for the Nov. 8 municipal election to
hand in valid petitions at the Weston town clerk’s office.
Potential candidates may petition to either be placed on the
ballot as petitioning candidates — on a separate line — or
they may petition to hold a primary election against an
already party-endorsed candidate. If needed, a primary would
be held Sept. 13.
Candidates handing in a primary petition need a minimum of 5%
of the last completed total active voter list for their party.
Town Clerk Donna Anastasia said as of July 21, the active
voter list included 1,886 Republicans (which would mean a
minimum of 95 signatures required for a valid petition) and
2,158 Democrats (meaning 108 signatures would be required).
[Please read the rest of this article in the archives at the Weston FORUM website]