REFERENDUM ON $350k OF TOWN BORROWING (bonding to build a sports facility on Hoyden's Lane) IS A REALITY!

Date: Thurs., August 12, 2010 (2 days after the primary)
Time: 12 pm - 8 pm
Place: Your regular polling place
Who: Any registered voter; visit or call Registrar 203-256-3117 if you're not yet registered to vote
You can vote by absentee ballot if you are absent, ill, disabled, or active Military during those hours
To get an Absentee Ballot:
1. get an Application from the Town Clerk OR:

2. print Application from this link to Sec. of State Website on Town Clerk's website:

http://www.fairfieldct.org/voter.htm#absent
3. Application - fill in the blanks for ONLY the Referendum on 8/12, (not for any other purpose such as primary)
4. Send Application back to Town Clerk- soon so you receive the actual Absentee Ballot before 8/12
5. Must postmark actual Absentee Ballot by 8/12 but try to do it sooner.
NOTE: there are certain rules governing absentee ballots:
1. you are not supposed to distribute more than 5 Applications to non-family members unless you register w/Town Clerk
2. You may vote by Absentee Ballot if one of the following are true:
1) your active service in the U. S. armed forces
2) your absence from town during all the hours of voting
3) your illness
4) your physical disability
5) your religion forbids secular (non-religious) activity on that day
6) your required performance of duties as a primary, referendum, or election official at a polling place other than your own during all the hours on that day.

For Immediate Release:
On Monday, July 12th at 4:10 pm, the organizers of the group No More Bonding delivered to the Fairfield Town Clerk close to 2200 signatures on a petition for a referendum. Since the actual deadline for submission is Tuesday July 13th at 4:30 pm and petitions are still streaming in, the group anticipates a final count of close to 2500 signatures. The signatures are in favor of a referendum which will ask the voters if they want the town to spend $ 350,000 of bonded money (borrowed money) on another town ball field. It became clear to the organizers during their short and intense 14 day petition drive, that the majority of voters are in overwhelming support of fiscal restraint and that is their number one priority. The organizers are hopeful that this referendum will result in a town-wide vote in mid-august, at which point the registered voters will once again express their desire for no more bonding.

LAST 3 DAYS TO SIGN!!!!!!

Interested taxpayers can sign the petition at:

Friday July 9 from 10am - 12pm Left side entrance Stop & Shop at 1160 kings highway Cut-off Fairfield

Friday July 9 from 2pm - 6pm in Front of Lucy's Kitchen 2445 Blackrock Trnpk ( Next to Swansons )

Sat July 10 from 10am - 12pm & 3pm - 6pm

Left side entrance Stop & Shop at 1160 kings highway Cut-off Fairfield

Sat Jul 10 from 10am - 2pm In Front of Lucy's Kitchen 2445 Blackrock Trnpk ( Next to Swansons

Sat July 10 from 12pm - 3pm

downtown office of Kathryn Braun, 1212 Post road across from Molto's (its on Lantern Hill- middle house, side entrance, 2nd floor name is on a sign in front and at side entrance, ample parking ignore no parking signs they are for commuters.

More locations to sign the petition

Interested taxpayers can sign the petition at:

Wed Jul 7 from 2pm - 6pm n Front of Lucy's Kitchen 2445 Blackrock Trnpk ( Next to Swansons )

Thur Jul 8 from 2pm - 6pm In Front of Lucy's Kitchen 2445 Blackrock Trnpk ( Next to Swansons )

Thur Jul 8th from 6pm - 8pm Fairfield Public Library, Room A

Thur., Jul 8 from 12pm - 6pm

Fri., Jul 9 from 12pm - 4pm

downtown office of Kathryn Braun, 1212 Post road across from Molto's (its on Lantern Hill- middle house, side entrance, 2nd floor her name is on a sign in front and at side entrance, ample parking ignore no parking signs they are for commuters)

Updated Where to sign the Petition

Interested taxpayers can sign a petition at the downtown office of Kathryn Braun, RTM D-8 who has graciously offered to support Fairfield taxpayers in this effort, at the following times:

Tues., Jul. 6 from 10am - 2pm

Thur., Jul 8 from 12pm - 6pm
Fri., Jul 9 from 12pm - 4pm

Her office is located at:

1212 Post road across from Molto's (its on Lantern Hill- middle house, side entrance, 2nd floor my name on sign in front and at side entrance, ample parking ignore no parking signs the are for commuters)

Where to sign the Petition

Interested taxpayers can sign a petition at the downtown office of Kathryn Braun, RTM D-8 who has graciously offered to support Fairfield taxpayers in this effort, at the following times:

Friday, July 2, from 2 pm - 6 pm:

Saturday, July 3 from 10 am - 2 pm

Monday, July 5 from 10 am - 2 pm

Her office is located at:

1212 Post road across from Molto's (its on Lantern Hill- middle house, side entrance, 2nd floor my name on sign in front and at side entrance, ample parking ignore no parking signs the are for commuters)

In addition to these times signatures will be being collected at a number of this weekends town functions and at other public locations during the week. As these other opportunities to sign become more finalized they will be posted here.

"Shall the sum of $350,000 for the Costs of Establishing a Softball Field on Town-Owned Property on Hoyden's Lane and Authorizing the Issuance of Bonds to Finance Such Appropriation be approved?"

This question is being petitioned to be presented on a referendum ballot to the electors of the Town of Fairfield.

Many Fairfielders are hurting financially. Some have lost their jobs. Some have had hours reduced or a salary frozen. Every week another home foreclosure appears on the list of property transfers in Fairfield. Taxes keep going up. Yet on Monday the RTM approved the bonding of $350,000 for the construction of a new softball field even after $3 million was cut from the education budget, cuts to first responders equipment needs, police cruisers, fire department radios, and teachers taking no pay increases.

The RTM’s Republican majority was elected after promising fiscal responsibility. Bonding for nonessential projects is NOT fiscally responsible. Republican Majority Leader Jamie Millington called in January for the RTM to restrict spending on “quality of life enhancements” to reduce the burden on taxpayers, however he voted in favor of spending this money.* Many of the RTM members did keep their promises, working to be financially responsible and support the best interests of the majority of taxpayers. However, they were defeated and it is clear that those RTM members who voted in favor of borrowing this money - do not represent the priorities of THE MAJORITY of town taxpayers who did not want this expenditure! This referendum seeks to allow the majority of Fairfield’s taxpayers’ voices to be heard.

This referendum is also a call to the RTM to better police itself and establish a policy for Representatives to recuse themselves when they have a conflict of interest on a particular vote. This additional town borrowing was passed after at least 4 members voting for it had proudly announced to the RTM and described their clear conflicts of interest before the vote. They are officials, coaches, umpires in the leagues affected and their private organizations will benefit directly from this expenditure of taxpayer dollars and additional town debt. Assistant Minority Leader Harold Schwartz, as reported in the Fairfield Citizen, said in his comments of support for the new field that he would personally profit financially from the field as a paid umpire and would recuse himself. But when the final vote became close he cast his vote for it. That is bad government.

If you want to help get this question to a referendum ballot please email for more info on when and where signatures will be being collected.

nomorebonding@gmail.com

Or visit http://nomorebonding.blogspot.com for the latest on when and where to sign.

* The actual RTM vote breakdown on this resolution:

District 1:

David M. Becker (R) - No

Bruce Challinor (R) - No

Carolyn Richmond (R) - No

Eric G. Sundman (R) - No

Michael Herley (R) - No

District 2:

Peter Ambrose (R) - No

Alexis P. Harrison (R) - No

Jeffrey R. Steele (R) - Yes

Chad Stewart (R) - Yes

Keith Storm Varian (R) - Yes

District 3:

Edward J. Bateson, III (R) - No

Thomas P. Conley (R) - No

Francis "Hank" Ference (R) - No

Mary I. McCullough (R) - No

Richard L. Santalesa (R) - No

District 4:

Joseph M. DeMartino (R) - No

Richard Parker (R) - No

Stephanie Parker (R) - No

Arthur G. Hug (R) - Absent from Meeting

Joseph J. Palmer (R) - Absent from Meeting

District 5:

Joshua Garskof (D) - Yes

Ruth A. Smey (D) - Yes

Ann Stamler (D) - Yes

Joseph Gall (D) - Absent from Meeting

Christopher M. McAleese (D) - Absent from Meeting

District 6:

Christopher J. Brogan (D) - Yes

Brenda Kupchick (R) - Yes

Joseph M. Luciano (D) - Yes

Sheila H. Marmion (D) - Yes

Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D) - Yes

District 7:

David L. Cullen (D) - Yes

Keith L. Hoffkins (D) - Yes

William Llewellyn (R) - Yes

Timothy C. Lynch (R) - Yes

Harold G. Schwartz (D) - Yes

District 8:

Kathryn L. Braun (R) - No

Elizabeth P. Hoffman (R) - No

Lawrence C. Kelly (R) - Yes

Thomas E. McCarthy (R) - No

James Takami (R) - Absent from Meeting

District 9:

Faith Dillon (R) - Yes

Joseph L.A. Felner, Jr. (R) - Yes

James Millington (R) - Yes

Mark McGinty (R) - Absent from Meeting

Nicholas D. Mirabile (R) - Absent from Meeting

District 10:

Erin E. Harrison (R) - No

Michael Mears (R) - No

Matthew Rubino (R) - Yes

Carol J. Way (R) - Yes

Brian R. Farnen (R) - Absent from Meeting