By Jude Toohey
Orange Republican Town Committee
Jude Toohey
How quickly our summers go by. As students, teachers, staff and families get back into the swing of another academic year I wish you a productive 2025-26 school year. Once we enter the back-to-school season, we quickly shift into the silly season.
As the campaigns begin, there is a lot of noise on social media, some of it misleading, some of it meant to stir emotions rather than inform. That is why it is important to cut through the chatter and focus on what truly matters: the future of our town.
For the past 20 years, Orange has thrived under consistent, results-driven Republican leadership. Thanks to First Selectman Jim Zeoli and the team who collaborates with him, Orange now enjoys a AAA bond rating, a stable tax base, healthy surpluses and top-tier schools. This didn’t happen by accident – it happened through discipline, planning and commitment to taxpayers. Even during recessions, Hartford’s tax-and-spend mandates and a global pandemic, Orange emerged stronger by prioritizing stability over political theater.
Now, Democrats have introduced their “first priorities” for 2025. On paper, it may sound appealing – lower taxes, better services – but in reality, their plan creates new bureaucracy, adds long-term costs and relies heavily on uncertain grants.
Here are just a few examples:
A new economic development department would cost $150,000 a year to duplicate services already provided by the Orange Economic Development Corporation, Amity Chamber of Commerce and our own Economic Development Commission. Grants are never guaranteed, so when they dry up, taxpayers are left paying the bill.
Democrats would politicize education funding. Orange’s schools already receive 61 percent of our budget and rank among the best in the state. The Democrats’ expansion proposals lean on state aid and grants that may never arrive. If that funding falls short, the only options are higher taxes or cuts to programs. That is not a plan – it is a gamble.
Their “Phase 1” proposal for Fred Wolfe Park borrows $750,000, locking taxpayers into $60,000 in annual debt service for 20 years – at least $1.2 million before interest. Similar projects in other towns balloon into multi-million-dollar liabilities. Orange has already made meaningful park improvements without straining residents.
Democrats would spend $25,000 a year on an “Orange Connect” app – a reporting system with no evidence it improves service delivery, costing $250,000 over a decade. Many residents, especially seniors, may never use it. Ongoing expenses like this drain resources without measurable returns.
The common thread is clear: these proposals depend on “existing resources” and “grants” that are finite and unreliable. When that money runs out, taxes rise or services are cut. Orange Republicans have spent two decades avoiding those pitfalls by focusing on core services, fiscal responsibility and protecting taxpayers. That is why Orange is strong today.
Before we risk our town’s stability on costly experiments, voters should ask: is it worth undoing the hard-earned progress we have made?
Do not rely on social media rumor mills. Seek facts from credible sources before making judgments about our community.
Orange is strong because we have worked together to keep it that way. Let us continue on that path. We only need to look to our state to see how the Democrats in the majority continue to experiment using our tax payor dollars. Better yet, look at the towns and cities who are run under Democratic majorities. See how poorly they run. Orange is blessed to have a strong leader in Jim Zeoli and our Republican team.
Jude Toohey is vice chair of the Orange Republican Town Committee.