Jim Zeoli and Jody Dietch
Throughout the political season the Milford-Orange Times continued its tradition of featuring the top candidates’ responses to a series of questions about how they would serve their communities if elected in a three-part series. With the Nov. 5 municipal elections just around the bend, we’ve collected all the questions and responses here for you. In Orange, incumbent Republican First Selectman Jim Zeoli is being challenged by Democrat Jody Dietch.
Question 1: Connecticut’s continuing fiscal challenges make it likely that the state will put more cost burdens on towns in coming years. What will you do to keep costs down for taxpayers?
Zeoli:
The Town of Orange started preparing for cuts in state-provided funding years ago. When I started my tenure the Orange Elementary Schools were receiving almost $1.6 million in Education Cost Sharing funding; that number has declined to $1.2 million and is planned to continue until the Town of Orange receives no funding in that education account.
The Democratic controlled House and Senate in Hartford under Dannel P. Malloy’s administration had labeled Orange one of the 33 wealthy communities and wanted to eliminate the funding all at once. The current Democratic controlled House and Senate in Hartford also want the towns to start funding some of the Teachers Retirement Fund with no say or representation as to what Orange’s share will be! That number as proposed was to be $147,000 the first year, $280,000 the second year and almost $500,000 the third year of the initial program.
This reduction in Education Cost Sharing funding and the possibility of supporting part of the Teachers Retirement Fund could have an impact of over $1.5 million to the Town of Orange budget. If the elected officials in Hartford continue get their way, while the cities continue to get increased funding the suburban communities must think outside the box for revenue sources.
There are three ways to help the budget of any town. The first is economic development. I have this constantly in the forefront of the town’s needs. Currently you are seeing a beautiful new hotel rise from once idle farmland to the south of I-95. You see a new distribution facility rise just to the north of I-95 on idle farmland that was generating $160,000 a year in taxes and is now proposed to generate $700,000-plus in new tax dollars. If you drive through Edison Road you will see the new building for veteran outpatient services. I chased and met with many potential developers over a six-year period to land that taxable facility and provide needed services to the veterans of the region. Right next door to that project is a building that will be a commercial ink manufacturer for the garment industry. I have met with several potential users of the Lowe’s and Sam’s Club sites and the interest is strong. I hope we will be able to announce suitors for those properties in the near future. The one issue to remember is those properties continue to pay taxes even while vacant!
The second is to look at services provided and how to control those costs. Education is 66 percent of Orange’s budget and the reason why many of you have chosen Orange to call home. We must be certain that your dollars are being used wisely and going to the best possible programs to prepare your children for the future.
The third is grant funding and sponsors that choose to support and help provide services to residents. This could be programs, fuel assistance or transportation, just to name a few items.
Evaluation of all expenses is key to fiscal stability!
Dietch:
This question several makes several assumptions. My conversations with our local representatives paint a much different picture. The looming demise of the State of Connecticut is overstated. We can spin statistics any way we want to make our own case. When times have been difficult, our current first selectman blamed the Democratic governor. As a municipality, we do have our own certain responsibilities and obligations. We must accept our role and do our part to work to sustain our economic development and look at new ways to control expenses. Just because we can borrow money at a low interest rate, does that mean we should? Bonding debt inflates the taxes our residents pay. What budgetary moves can we make to budget for recurring expenses such as road paving versus the Republican solution of bonding = borrowing?
We must think outside the box, or big box store, with innovative ways to develop the large empty parcels on Route 1. Sensible development feeds our tax base. Do we sit back and wait for businesses to express an interest? Do we leave that to our staff or does the first selectman take a proactive marketing stance to attract new and desirable businesses to Orange? There is passive and proactive. In marketing our town, I believe we need to be proactive and as your full-time first selectman, that is the approach I will take. Just look at our neighbors to the south, in Milford, and see desirable development.
Rarely, if ever, have I heard about our town applying for grants to help fund some of the projects we are bonding for. This is an untapped resource we need to be actively pursuing. I have applied for grants many times in my non-profit experience. There are many out there to be had. You need to know where to look and who to ask for help.
What other budgeted expenses can we look at with new eyes? From my experience on the Orange Board of Education, delving deep into a budget can reap rewards, again with fresh eyes. Health care? Office supplies? Information technology? And the list goes on. The Democratic Board of Finance candidates have new faces as well as experienced ones, the Republicans have the same old, same old. It’s time for new ideas and fresh eyes.
We also need to see where we can save by sharing resources with our neighbors. I have been in touch with a couple of our neighboring towns about ways we can help each other. Every town has its unique opportunities to offer such as equipment and personnel. How can we better share those resources, to save money and enhance the lives of our residents? It is amazing the ideas that are generated from a simple phone call or short meeting.
The state is also encouraging more shared resources and, no, I don’t mean merging our school systems based on probate court boundary lines. That was an unfortunate proposal that was walked back almost as fast as it was presented. It did, however, bring up the idea that we all need to see how we can share positions, commodities, and resources to save everyone money. The more we do this, the better off we will all be.
Business as usual can no longer be. Innovative ideas come with new people and their new ideas. The same old, same old will give Orange the same old, same old. We can’t afford to stay on the status quo path. That path does not include an incline. That incline is what stabilizes our taxes and, like Milford, can actually lead to tax reductions. What a wonderful goal to attain!
Isn’t it time the residents of Orange have leadership that listens and works to address their concerns? We don’t have term limits, but how long is long enough? Fourteen years? Orange, are you ready for new ideas?
Question 2: The General Assembly has created incentives to encourage municipalities to join regional organizations. What are views on regionalization, and how would you work to encourage or prevent regionalizing services in your municipality?
Zeoli:
I have always looked at ways that we could work with others in a regional manner to get things done to benefit all involved. I was instrumental in leaving the long-standing BOW animal control service and joining with Milford for a savings of over $40,000 for Orange. The sharing of both manpower and equipment with Woodbridge and Bethany has been a positive for all three towns. I would also welcome the opportunity to work with our other neighbors to benefit the communities.
The Town of Orange entered into a regional partnership with the Amity system in 1954 and continues to thrive today. I think as children grow a single high school would not support all the diverse needs that a three-town system has been able to provide as they prepare for the future. I do not however support the regionalizing of our elementary system as has been proposed by the Democratic leaders in Hartford! The residents of the communities affected should have the complete responsibility of making that decision, not those that sit in the thrones in Hartford! I received many calls, messages and emails when that was being discussed and all but two were to leave our schools alone!
The Town of Orange purchases our insurance through the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Association, or CIRMA, which is a membership of over 120 communities within the state of Connecticut. The Town of Orange is in a fuel bid consortium for the purchase of heating oil, diesel fuel, and gasoline with three other communities. The Town of Orange uses the state of Connecticut-approved bids for winter salt, road paving, asphalt to purchase as a few more examples.
The town also posts projects on the state of Connecticut website where contractors and vendors are able to see work available, read the bid documents and follow the prescribed requirements without burdening our staff with questions that can be answered in the documents. This is a relatively new process for Orange that has proven itself repeatedly.
The town also is a member of South Central Regional Council of Governments, or SCROG, a regional membership of 15 communities that started with emphasis on transportation issues within the region and has expanded into many other support services for the member communities.
The town is also a member of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, or CCM, which is an organization that covers most communities in the entire state of Connecticut. This organization offers the towns strong lobbying power in Hartford and also has programs of community management, purchasing, research and data collection service to offer a few examples.
The state of Connecticut has not created incentives for regionalization; they have created yet another task force to do a study and make recommendations by Feb. 5, 2020. Then the Office of Policy and Management is supposed to implement the findings created by those in the thrones in Hartford beginning in July of 2020.
I am supportive of many regional activities to help our community and residents, but I very definitely have very strong opinions of some that I don’t feel are a good fit for Orange. I and town departments will continue to work with the regional programs we have and will continue to look at and consider other opportunities we can create or be invited to join.
Dietch:
The very word “regionalization” makes people nervous. The ill-conceived plan our legislators threw out concerning school regionalization would have split up the Amity district. This resulted in significant backlash from many communities, including ours. Even though such a proposal had little traction this past legislative session, there is no doubt this concept will be back. We should be prepared. But regardless of the state’s efforts to force small communities to combine their resources, there are sound reasons for us to explore this concept on our own.
Sharing of resources is something we already do in Orange. We share animal control with Milford. We are part of a fuel purchase consortium with Bethany, Woodbridge and Amity District. We share school bus services as well, and our police and fire services participate in mutual aid. So, this is not a new concept for Orange. But there is more we can and should be doing. I have already been in touch with the leaders of our neighboring towns to further pursue opportunities.
We have two wonderful school systems in Orange and Amity, as do Woodbridge and Bethany. Three towns, four school systems. What does that mean? Four superintendents, four curriculum directors, four business managers, etc. Are we being wise and/or efficient by having four of these positions as well as other central office positions?
What would it mean to our residents if we became a K-12 Amity district? It would mean consolidating these positions. For our elementary school students, nothing changes. They have the same school, the same teachers, the same principals, the same bus and bus drivers.
It would mean a better education system for our children. My two sons and I are products of Orange elementary schools, as well as Amity. I know first-hand the challenge of the transition from sixth grade to the middle school. We have worked for years trying to improve that transition from one school system to another, yet I still hear the same concerns and issues today that happened when my 26-year-old made that transition. So clearly improvement is needed.
Currently, Bethany, Orange and Woodbridge each select and buy their own curricula for their elementary schools. This means when our students get to Amity, they have had different learning experiences. As an Amity K-12 district, we would benefit from a unified curriculum. That would allow us greater buying power, but more importantly, it would have all of our students learning together so when they get to the middle school and high school, everyone is on the same page.
The state is going to pursue this concept and we need to be ahead of this. Do we want to be in control of our future or have someone else dictate it? Are we prepared to lose state funding by not considering this option?
The Amity Board of Education is currently pursuing a K-12 study. I have thought long and hard about this and spoken to many people. I support this study. My opponent does not. He was quoted as saying he won’t support this because he doesn’t want to lose control. Let me be clear: the first selectman does not have control over a Board of Education. By statute, they are autonomous. His statement makes me wonder how much influence he is imposing. Additionally, this is about what is best for our taxpayers and our students. Even in a K-12 district, Orange would have the majority of students and thus the majority representation, as we do now, on the Board of Education. So what control is actually lost?
Our friends in Woodbridge and Bethany have both publicly supported this proposal. Our Amity Board of Education has supported pursuing this concept as well. This shows bipartisan support because it isn’t about politics when it comes to our kids.
School system aside, what other resources can we share with our neighbors? This isn’t limited to Bethany and Woodbridge. Milford? West Haven? We all have resources to share and we need to consider those options. Economic development in Orange has been strong and yet our taxes go up every year. Sharing resources is a way for us to increase revenue and control expenses. We must pursue these opportunities and do what is best for the taxpayers of our town.
Orange, are you ready?
Question 3: The cost of housing throughout Connecticut has continued to rise. At the same time, the number of seniors, who may not want or be able to stay in their homes, is growing. Also growing is the number of young people struggling with college debts and other expenses who are looking for housing options that fit their needs. What will you do to help these populations while maintaining the quality and character of housing in your community?
Zeoli:
I think to say the cost of housing has continued to rise and how that affects both seniors and younger singles and families is a fractured thought. The overall cost of living and ability to sustain and advance is the challenge all people face.
There are many of the 60+ group that would like to stay in Orange, but don’t want all the upkeep required to maintain a property. We have many residents in the 75+ group that want either to stay in the home they have known or downsize to something with minimal or no upkeep. The problem here is that both private home expenses or fees paid to an association can be cost prohibitive for those on a fixed income. The selling of one’s home can be a very traumatic event in their lives, but this opens the door for a younger person or family to gain entry level living in the town that we have all come to love. I have met with several developers trying to get more age restricted housing in town, and as soon as the age restriction is mentioned conversations have ended. They want to target the younger group where they can make more money.
The younger people do face financial challenges also. They may be carrying college debt or other costs and want to move to a new home to start or raise a family. While this may sound harsh to some, those young people at least have an opportunity to work a job or two and climb the ladder while dealing with education debt or home expenses; the seniors don’t have that option. The town does offer many possibilities with homes from $200,000 to over $1 million, so generally there is some fit for most. The town has held good value and young people will see appreciation of their purchase and seniors will also benefit from the strong sales in Orange when they decide to look at other options.
I think the town will be facing a few new types of housing as the calendar clicks forward. There will be more applications for apartments and condo types of space. Some will contain an affordable component, also sometimes referred as an 830-g application. This is a tool used by developers often to get what they want when they can’t get what they want. That was not the intent of the law, but what it has become. The town has zones where varied housing will fit, but since most of Orange does not have sewers, high density housing in generally residential zones will not function properly
I am very proud of one of my first big projects back in 2006: Fieldstone Village. There were many naysayers in the beginning, but as it developed many residents of Orange have chosen to make their home there. I have met with several developers for similar projects to serve the needs of others, but so far no luck in appropriate zones.
I believe those who feel Orange is the right fit for them like the way our community has evolved. They believe in Orange’s independent pre-K through sixth grade school system, which I have heard over and over again as a main reason why Orange was their choice. They like the continuous upgrades made to town buildings that were left unattended for many years and became maintenance challenges. Over 115 miles of Orange’s roadways face repaving and sometimes reconstruction has become a yearly process. Yes, everyone thinks their road is the worst, I know.
I have proven that I know this town and continue to serve you daily! I am always open to your thoughts and I hope that you are open to mine also. I am very excited about our next big project: by the time you read this I believe the clearing will have begun for a new playground at Fred Wolfe Park. The completion of the south wing renovations at High Plains are beautiful and the locker rooms at the pool are in use and serving a very happy public also!
I do not stop and still have plenty to do. Thank you!
Dietch:
Housing costs are an issue I am keenly aware of. My parents moved in with me and I have a newly engaged son who would like to be able to be buy a home. As a homeowner, I, like everyone else, watched our home values plummet in the early 2000s and now Orange is behind other communities in seeing our values bounce back.
Orange has a strong asset in our location. Not only do we have Route 1, we are also between Route 15 and Interstate 95. We are close to Fairfield County and offer easy access to New Haven. It is unfortunate that the Orange train station has not become reality. Transportation is a major economic draw for millennials.
As I have been meeting people of varying ages around our town door knocking, at the Country Fair, or just out and about, I hear the concerns. A woman in her 80s on Racebrook Road said she would love to move to Fieldstone Village, but for what her house would sell for she can’t afford to make that move. A gentleman on Grassy Hill Road is caring for his wife and hasn’t had time to put his snowblower away. Here we have two examples, among many, of what Orange is facing with its senior population. One woman who would like an affordable place to move, another man who would like to stay in his home but needs a hand.
We do need affordable rental space for our seniors. We talk about building affordable senior housing but always in the context of property they can purchase. We have less than 200 senior rental units and they are almost always full or have a waiting list. That shows a need that we have in our town for our seniors.
Additionally, let’s do more to help those who want to remain in their homes. OrangectLive reported in the spring that our first selectman put out a plea for help in planting some of his crop because he hadn’t had a chance to do it. People showed up to help him plant a crop he profits from. Then they showed up again when he asked for help weeding. What if we apply this same volunteer attitude to our seniors? An adopt-a-neighbor program where we check on each other regularly and help put away a snowblower, change a light bulb because going on a step stool may not be wise for someone in their 80s, or even a couple hours of weeding? What a sense of community we would be building, not to mention the pride in helping a neighbor.
Our children and their contemporaries are dealing with college debt, which is an issue that is hurting our economy nationwide. Families have not been able to save the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to fund a four-year college education. This has led to more college debt than ever before. When our young people need to pay back these large college loans, they can’t afford to buy their first home. Therefore, they are looking for rentals that offer the amenities they crave. Pairing retail and residential helps fulfill this need and our Route 1 corridor offers us the opportunity to provide it. We need to find a way to work with developers and solicit ideas and opportunities.
As I drive down Route 1 in Westport, I see the mix of residential and retail. And yes, it works. Other communities have also found ways to mix the housing and retail markets to the advantage of the town. There is no reason Orange can’t do the same.
The key, as they say, is location, location, location for all of these. Not every proposed development is a good fit for Orange. Our residential neighborhoods are important to the character of our town. We certainly don’t want to see the spot zoning that we see in other towns nor have developers turn to the affordable housing statutes to force development on the town. But we do need to realize that our future is not necessarily in all retail development, including on Route 1 but in corporate and residential housing.
Let’s move Orange forward with sound development that works for everyone. Orange, are you ready?