Putting The Town Back Together

     “The town has no leadership. The town "leaders" care more about revenge than about the good of the town. Gormley cares more about pointing out the mistakes of the previous administrations than about putting this town back together.

I think Mr. DeAngelis is a little mixed up here.  I don’t think Mr. Gormley and Mr. Desmarais  are trying to point out the mistakes of the previous administration, but rather trying to repair the mistakes of the previous administration.

Here are just some examples.

1) Prior to the 2007 election Mr. St. John was attempting to stonewall the MVFD radio grant by demanding that the MVFD or Northeast Communications pay for an engineering study done on the radio towers at Town Hall.  The MVFD wanted to replace an older and heavier low-band antenna, with a lighter newer high-band antenna. Mr. St. John would not allow it until the engineering study was conducted. The cost of the study?  Approximately $5,000 to $10,000 per tower.  In addition the study would not be able to be completed in time to meet the FEMA deadline.  This could have resulted in Middlebury losing the almost $300,000.00 radio grant. But, that was the point. Sink the radio grant and blame Chief Perrotti.

Immediately after the election, Tom Gormley approved mounting  the antenna on the Town Hall Chimney.  Mr. St. John was not happy.

2) Prior to the 2007 election Mr. St. John was spending thousands of dollars of taxpayer money drafting a Town/MVFD Ambulance agreement that would in essence have taken over the MVFD billing funds from the MVFD, and allowing it to be added to the general fund.  The MVFD paid thousands of dollars of its own money (not taxpayer money) defending the Department, thus preserving this billing system that saves our taxpayers thousands of dollars each year.  Even though the MVFD flatly rejected the contract, Mr. St. John’s lawyer went on the attack telling the very volunteers who ride on the ambulance to “Batten down the hatches.”  

Immediately following the election, Mr. Gormley and Mr. Desmarais threw Mr. St. John’s ambulance agreement right out the window. Currently, the BOS and the MVFD are in the final stages of drafting a new agreement that will protect the interests of both the Town and the MVFD Ambulance.  Mr. St. John did not like that too much either.

3) One of the biggest surprises Mr. Gormley and Mr. Desmarais discovered after taking office was the $948,000.00 Washington Dr. deal.  This was a huge problem right from the beginning.  Instead of sweeping it under the rug, Mr. Gormley and Mr. Desmarais ordered a Forensic Audit to have an independent company examine how the Town ended up in this position.  Mr. St. John did not like that at all.

Just taking those three elements.  Jeopardizing the radio grant, Middlebury would have lost $300,000. Attacking the MVFD Ambulance.  Middlebury could have lost it’s Volunteer ambulance.  The door-prize for that maneuver, a possible $350,000.00 per year in increase of taxes to hire a private ambulance service. Last, we are still out the $950,000.

Today, under Gormley and Desmarais, we have a working high-band radio system being utilized.  We are on the verge of a new ambulance agreement.  The MVFD enjoys a good working relationship with Mr. Gormley and they will be moving ahead to replace badly needed fire apparatus that Mr. St. John had ignored since 2003.

In addition, looking into the possibility of relocating Triangle Boulevard families to the Washington Drive area, could be the first step in recovering the $950,000.

These are all positive moves and the very essence of putting this Town back together.

    “The lack of respect of the town towards this administration was evident during the budget vote.”

Bull.  People vote their pocketbooks. There will always be a group of people who will always vote “No,” no matter what.  I include myself in that category most of the time.  But, it gets to the point, where logic has to triumph over emotion and people have to get together and do the right thing for their community. 

In addition during the budget votes, a great many people incorrectly thought they were voting for the School budget instead of voting for a tax decrease of 3.16% on the Town side. When it was publicly clarified the result was a passed budget.

To characterize it as a referendum on Tom Gormley is just not correct, just as it was not a referendum on Mr. St. John who did not pass his last budget until November of last year.