Summary

The Republican Open Forum was held on October 4th. We were asked not to record the forum, and what reporting we have is from The Glastonbury Citizen. The entire article reported by The Citizen is shown below.

Republican candidates for Town Council and Board of Education (BOE) fielded questions on a variety of topics – including development, property tax increases, bridging the divide between the parties and school superintendent’s salary – during a candidates forum last week.

Members of the public were able to submit questions during the two-hour forums, which was held at the Riverfront Community Center on Wednesday Oct 4.

All nine of the party’s candidates for council and the board attended the event and responded to questions on a host of topics.

The evening began with candidates being asked what agenda items they are prepared to raise on the council to lower the cost of living to the town, if they are elected.

According to incumbent Councilman and Minority Leader Kurt Cavanaugh, the new town manager will bring a new pair of eyes to the town’s budget.   He argued that the new GOP council members would also bring a fresh set of eyes in order to find more savings.

“With some fresh eyes, some new people we could make some savings” said Cavanaugh.

Incumbent John Cavanna said the council needs to “pump the brakes” on the Board of Education budget.  “We have a tremendous amount of money going into our school system and you can never get a straight answer where it is going”, he said.

According to Rachna Khanna, who is seeking her first two-year term on the council, the increase in taxes is hurting both Democrats and Republicans.  “Every single person I have spoken to is hurting”, said Khanna.  “Taxes are definitely something we need to address”

Khanna said she believes the Republican candidates would offer “new eyes” on the budget in order to reduce spending and taxes.

“We need to make Glastonbury affordable for our people first before we do anything for anybody [else]?”, she said.

Kevin Nursick, who is also seeking his first term on the council, said he believes budgets need to be looked at “holistically” in order to find places where money can be saved.

“I’ve seen people who have been here a long time and have a hard time [“being able to afford staying here”], he explained, calling it “unfair “.

Board of Education candidate Kali Cavanaugh, who is seeking her first four-year term on the school board, said when there are areas of the education budget that have surplus at the end of the year that go into the one percent fund, the BOE should examine whether spending in those areas can be reduced the following year.  “We need to be taking a closer look at areas of surplus,” said Cavanaugh.

Fellow BOE candidate, Stephen Michaels called the board’s budget documents “ludicrous” and argued that School Superintendent Alan Bookman is “fooling everybody”

Later in the forum, candidates were asked what would be a reasonable salary for the superintendent, who is making $292,949 in 2023-24.

In the public sector, Nursick said he believes you should have “modest pay, good benefits and job security”.     

“If you want to get rich, go to the private sector” he argued.

With an individual (Bookman) currently in the position, Kali Cavanaugh said it would be difficult at present to change the salary process.  However, she said she would like to see the board explore a tiered salary system. There is a top step for the next school chief, so retirement is more appealing than a three percent raise each year for a longtime superintendent.

Miacheals said he would be happy to pay Bookman $1 million if he could reduce the board’s budget by $3 million. According to Michaels, it is about “value” and the superintendent meeting goals set out for him by the board.   “A buck and half, as in one dollar and fifty cents” he said, when asked what Bookman is worth today.

According to incumbent council candidate Whit Osgood, if someone is already at the top of the pay scale, as far as what other superintendent in the state receive, then they don’t need a three percent raise each year.

The candidates were also asked what they hope to achieve if they are elected.

“First thing I want to accomplish is to get us elected,” said Kurt Kavanaugh.

Over the last two years, Republicans on the council have done their best to hold the Democrats “feet to the fire” regardless of the budget and spending, he argued.  “We voted against the Board of Education budget every year”, he said.

The council was also able to establish the Architectural Site and Design Review Committee and design guidelines for the town center that will protect the character of Glastonbury, he pointed out.

At last week’s forum, the candidates also expressed their support for getting more of the community involved in the political process, including appointing residents with specific experience to local subcommittees.

Kali Cavanaugh said it is an issue she is passionate about. “There is so much knowledge in this community,” she argued. It is an approach, she said, that could have been used when the strength and conditioning facility was being planned at the high school.

Still bothered by the decision of the council (via a Democratic majority) not to appoint Heather Simon to the Welles-Turner Library Board, Kurt Cavanaugh said he would not appoint a Democrat to a town commission, board or subcommittee as payback when the first appointment comes up. “After that, I think anyone willing to serve should serve,” he said.
According to Cavanna, the issue is broader than just involving members of the community in subcommittees.

“It’s great to have committees. [But] we can even get people to care enough to get to the polls,” said Cavanna.   He pointed out that, in a town of 35,000, only 22 people were in attendance at last week’s forum. “All we need to do is get people to the poll and we will take the election in a landslide,” said Cavanna.

Candidates also addressed the growing political divide. According to council candidate Kim Finocchiaro, there are things that many candidates regardless of political parties agree on.

“Everyone wants less taxes. Everyone wants less crime,” said Finocchiaro. “Those are common things we can try to bridge the divide on? According to Finocchiaro, she and her fellow candidates are not politicians-they’re your neighbors. “We want to keep what’s so good about Glastonbury,” she explained.  Finocchiaro said she has lived in town for 40 years. “I love the school system. I love the rural charm,” she said.

Nursick said you have to be willing to listen to ideas.  “You have to have civility and be open minded and willing to listen to people,” he explained. “People want to know they are being heard and have an opportunity to be heard.”

Khanna said there was a time when Democrats and Republicans could get things accomplished with a simple “handshake deal,” adding, “I’m really hoping this new group can go back to that civility.”

Board candidate Jennifer Faust stressed the importance of keeping an open mind. “You have to have hard conversations with others to gain perspective on a topic,” she explained.
At the forum, talk also turned to the high school’s former Tomahawks mascot.

“We can’t change the past,” explained Michaels. “We are where we are today. Today we are the Guardians.”  The question, he said, is where does the town go from here? This prompted a response from a member of the audience, who asked, “Why do we have to accept it?”

“I think the fight to change it back is a losing fight,” said Michaels, arguing it would only further divide the town.

Michaels did point out that each school has a different mascot. “Why not have all schools un- der one thing?” he asked. “Something to unite under.”

Kali Cavanaugh said the Tomahawks issue provides the town with the opportunity to reflect on the process and whether people and students felt heard.

Cavanna argued the decision to change the mascot should have been public, transparent and the town as a whole should have been asked to make the decision rather than change it because one person finds it offensive. “Not everything is offensive,” he argued.

The candidates also tackled the issue of development in town. “What is essentially at stake here is the roots of our town,” argued Nursick.  If development keeps on pace, the Town of Glastonbury could turn into the “City of Glastonbury,” he argued.

Nursick said he believes a “more aggressive plan” could be made to protect the character of
town.

Osgood pointed out that private property rights need to be respected. “You have to realize nothing stays the same forever,” he explained. “There will be development but you do need to control it.” How you control it, he said, is through local zoning ordinances.

Khanna agreed. “I don’t think the Town Council can stop developments,” she explained. The town does, however, need to preserve farmland, historic buildings and the character of town, and has the power to control develop- ment through zoning, she said.

When it comes to increasing transparency in local government, Osgood said that could start by ensuring items discussed by the council are put on the agenda before meetings so members and the public are aware of them before they are discussed.

“The Democrats have been adding things to the agenda left and right,” he said. The minority does not know anything about these items beforehand, he said.

Later in the forum, Finocchiaro argued in favor of teaching students “hard skills,” such as how to balance a checkbook, get credit and file a tax return.

Towards the end of the forum, candidates were asked what “gender affirming” meant to them.

Cavanna said he wasn’t clear on what was meant by “gender affirming.” GOP Board of Education member Jenn Jennings, who was in the audience, explained that, if she thought she were a man, it would mean others would affirm that.
“You have a mental disorder…” Cavanna said of Jennings’ hypothetical scenario. “Today you’re a male. Tomorrow you’re a dinosaur … It’s silly to entertain that type of thing”

Kali Cavanaugh said “everyone’s choices” should be respected though it shouldn’t get in the way of education. 

The question then turned to when young students should begin being taught about sex education or sexual identity.

“At the end of the day, it should one hundred percent be the parent’s decision” to choose when their children learn about those things, said Faust.

Before the close of the forum, the candidates were asked why they are running for office.

Faust said she wants to work to build relationships on the board in order to get things accom- plished and hopes to give back to the community like it has given back to her over the years. “Through the relationships you build, you can get a lot accomplished,” she said.

As a parent and financial advisor, Michaels said he believes he has something to offer the board.

“I’m running because I came here with very little,” explained Khanna. “It’s about, as an immigrant, I got my American Dream. I want to make sure my grandkids can get [theirs] in this Town.”   Khanna said she has always felt included in Glastonbury and said she wants to make sure the town is affordable “for people of Glastonbury first.”

Cavanna said living in town needs to remain sustainable. “I’m not a politician. I just want to make a difference,” he said.

According to Nursick, there are a number of reasons why he decided to run.

“I think there is something worth holding onto here,” said Nursick. He cited the need to protect affordability for people already living in town, addressing crime and preserving Glastonbury’s small town character. “Those are the main items that prompted me to run,” he said.