Letter to the Editor: Vote 'No' on Canal Street Referendum

This November a referendum question seeks taxpayer dollars of $1 million for the reconstruction of Canal Street.  Based on the size of the project this is a drop in the bucket.  As an example, on June 30, 2008 Shelton appropriated $2 million for Canal Street and on November 12, 2009 appropriated $9,000.00 to secure a $900,000 bond and on June 28, 2011 appropriated $71,012 in bonding for the railroad crossing.     What is the total amount of taxpayer dollars needed to fund the entire project?

On August 23, 2012 a representative of the mostly taxpayer funded Shelton Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) spoke to the issues of Canal Street.  The SEDC spokesperson addressed issues of Canal Street, however, did not appear to address the issue of who pays upfront costs.  Avalon Bay is contributing the sidewalks on their side of the street and Shelton taxpayers will pay about $150,000 for lighting.  Who pays for road reconstruction and utilities? Shelton taxpayers?

Taxpayers pay for the Wooster Street railroad crossing and the relocation of the tracks.  The president of the Board of Alderman (BOA) spoke to a rumor of a parking garage issue from the Birmingham construction. After all these years the Board of Aldermen who are the fiscal authority of Shelton should have answers as to the reason that the railroad insists that the tracks be relocated to the tune of some $500,000 of taxpayer dollars?   This is in addition to the $500,000 for the Wooster Street crossing.

The BOA and the SEDC need to address the issue of Shelton taxpayer dollars.  What are the costs?  At first glance it appears that taxpayer dollars will be in the millions.  The SEDC, a product of the BOA, and the BOA must share with the public all anticipated upfront, ongoing and future costs related to Canal Street.   After all, local, federal and state taxpayer dollars provides a good portion of the funds needed for the SEDC to exist.

Without all the information a NO vote at this time appears appropriate.

Another referendum question is road reclamation.  It’s a simple question.  Are you satisfied with the $6 million road reclamation?  Are you ready to spend an additional $5 million for the same grade of road repair that is presently taking place?  Are bonded referendum dollars being used by our public works department for resurfacing roads?  If this is the case, will the public works department have an end of the year surplus?   If so, what is the anticipated use of possible surplus dollars?

The road reclamation has a way to go and it involves millions of taxpayer dollars. The BOA must be taking lessons from national politicians.  Approve the road referendum and at a later date we’ll solve the problems, release the names of the roads and share with taxpayers the ongoing costs and time table of the road reclamation. 

Until all information is shared with taxpayers, a NO vote appears to be appropriate.

-Richard Widomski