From First Selectman Fred Camillo:
Given the enormous public interest in the Board of Estimate and Taxation’s 2025-26 municipal budget vote, scheduled now for Thursday, I want to be very clear that budget cuts being proposed now by some members are going to be very harmful to Town departments, both big and small, and I oppose them.
In my six years as First Selectman of the Town of Greenwich, we have worked extremely hard with our Town department heads to be able to do more with less. The fact that we have trimmed the headcount for Town employees by 40 people over the last six years is a testament to that.
I believe strongly in fiscal prudence and smart management of resources, which I have shown repeatedly throughout my time as First Selectman and when I was a State Representative. However, I believe most of the cuts being proposed are unnecessary and would be damaging, if approved.
The proposed $4 million cut to our schools is an action that I am respectfully asking the BET to reconsider.
Efficiency, consolidation and any other goal that promotes fiscal prudence and responsibility is something I support, as do many others in Town. What I object to here is the magnitude of the proposed cut to the school budget, which I am hearing will involve the end of certain programs and the possible elimination of teaching positions.
Our public schools, which I am blessed to have attended, along with our focus on public safety, public health, and the parks system, are some of the main reasons why people choose to move to our beautiful Town. Let’s spend money wisely, and not look to cut indiscriminately across the board which can lead to unintended consequences.
I just want to highlight a few examples of cuts to a few departments and the resulting strain on the already stretched thin departments.
As Police Commissioner, I am concerned about the potential cut to the police department, which is already having to redeploy existing resources to cover more of the Town and operations than ever before due in large part to having to cover one of the largest landmasses in the State of Connecticut and all it does to cover our local schools.
If this cut is approved, the department will be faced with the choice of having to eliminate another position or going without certain equipment that is used for public protection.
I understand the BET might be reconsidering this cut to the police department and I thank them for listening to our concerns.
It is worth noting that 30 years ago, we had a police force of 175 members. Today, we are at 152 and that is with financial fraud crimes, technological tools required to protect the public, and sophisticated criminal enterprises that were not even in existence years ago when we had 23 more officers in uniform
The Department of Public Works, which came in under the BET’s approved guidelines with its budget, is now being forced to look at whether or not it will be able to fund overtime this winter. That means we would have to go to the BET for interim appropriations for money to cover basic resident needs like plowing snow and making sure our streets are clear of ice.
The Nathaniel Witherell is another area of concern. Since my first day in office, I have challenged Witherell’s management to be more efficient and figure out how to address their $5 million to $7 million yearly deficit. The staff and Witherell’s board members have worked very hard to respond and address that and we’re almost to the point where we would not have a deficit there if it were not for its debt costs.
I believe we are finally at a point where there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Witherell as a Town department. But the cuts being proposed by some BET members would, according to some Witherell board members and its new chairman who has 52 years of experience in the hospital industry, will downgrade the facility to a one-star rating. That would be disastrous.
If the endgame for some is to sell the Nathaniel Witherell operation to a private entity, why would we devalue it as an asset? Whether a business, or even professional sports franchise, the idea of selling low is something to be avoided, while an asset that is strong is always considered to be more valuable.
These cuts would also be demoralizing to the people we have to interview as potential members of the Witherell’s board and the Friends of Nathaniel Witherell. These are people who are working really hard to turn the ship around and these cuts would set their efforts back significantly.
I again respectfully urge the BET to think about the ramifications for Greenwich’s future and reconsider these cuts
