Imagine a man walking through the desert who sees a tropical paradise in the distance. The man knows it could be a mirage, but he forges ahead. He finally reaches the beach, and dips his toes in the warm sand. He realizes to his horror that he is in quicksand. He struggles to get free, but the more he struggles, the further he sinks.
Sound familiar? The Fairfield Metro Center is this towns paradise turned nightmare. What began as a promising project that would help revitalize our towns economy and answer the prayers of commuters has devolved into a morass of politics, back room dealings and massive cost overruns. Individuals who were supposed to protect the town and its taxpayers instead put them on the hook.
Our former First Selectman Ken Flatto entered into a contract with the State of Connecticut and Black Rock Realty, a private developer. Responsibilities were assigned and contractual obligations were created. This original contract relied too heavily upon the private developer. When Black Rock Realty faced foreclosure, the project ground to a halt. The State of Connecticut agreed to help save the project, but there was a heavy price to be paid.
The original contract was modified. Parking revenue which would have flowed to the town at the rate of $300,000 annually was now essentially lost. The town took on the risk and responsibility for cost overruns. Fairfield went from investing $6 million and building a parking lot to running and assuming the risk for a multi-million-dollar, multipurpose project.
Mr. Flatto signed this new contract on behalf of the town without consulting his chief fiscal officer or any elected town officials. The Board of Selectmen later reviewed and approved it, but was the only elected body with the legal authority to do so. That this contract could be signed without review or approval by any other elected town officials is totally unacceptable. Taxpayers are now on the hook for these cost overruns. Other important projects may have to be delayed or passed over.
The question we all face is Now what? As the vice chairman of the Board of Finance, I voted at our June 29th special meeting to appoint an independent auditor to investigate the Metro Center project from inception to present, to figure out what went wrong, and make sure it never happens again. The outside auditor will facilitate getting up-to-date and accurate financial reports on this project, which neither the Board of Finance nor the RTM were receiving despite repeated requests. The audit will provide an objective, non-political and unfiltered report on where the Metro Center currently stands, and what the towns options are going forward.
As a candidate for first selectman, I strongly advocate a revision of the town charter to give the Board of Finance and the RTM oversight and approval authority on all town contracts that significantly impact the town budget or exceed a certain sum, such as $1 million. That authority does not exist presently. This will ensure a contract paid for by the people will not be kept hidden from the people. It will also ensure that there will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts for private developers.
As a taxpaying citizen, I remain profoundly disappointed at how a project with such vast potential could have been so completely and utterly mishandled. The actions of a cloistered few have jeopardized the financial well-being of all citizens and we cannot let that happen again.
Want to voice your opinion? Start the conversation in the comments below, or send letters to the editor to gcanuel@thedailyfairfield.com.
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