Town Council to vote Monday on 5% tax increase

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  The Town Council will meet on Monday to adopt a budget that would raise the tax rate by 5.1%, setting up a debate over school reserves, deferred infrastructure spending, and the town’s long-term fiscal pressures. For a house with a $300,000 market value — and assessed value of $210,000 (70%) — the taxes would increase by $338 to $6,953.    Expect a vigorous debate and possibly some last-minute changes if deadlocks emerge. The proposed budget would increase the mill rate by 1.61 mills, from 31.5 to 33.11 mills. There are several fundamental tensions running through the budget debate. The special meeting is at 6 p.m. and will be on Enfield Television channel on YouTube. Special meetings typically do not include time for public comment.   The Democrats hold a supermajority on the council, with eight of the 11 seats. Theoretically, that should allow them to adopt a budget easily, but Democrats do not necessarily move in lockstep and disagreements could emerge. School f...
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Election Issues: Goodbye, Mark Twain Pickleball Courts. Hello $600K Fermi Pickleball Courts. What About the Fermi Building?

Fermi -- aka Enfield Annex -- sports field


We don't have local elections in Enfield. Sure, we go through the motions—candidates put up signs, pen the obligatory Patch profiles, and stuff our mailboxes with slogan cards. But we don't have debates or forums. Our appointed mayors fade into the background and run as individuals.

It's disappointing.

The community remains disconnected from the government at the most consequential time. Without election engagement, unpopular ideas can and will be adopted by the council majority—without sufficient public input.

That has to change.

This is the first in a series of posts I'll be writing on issues that should be part of this year's local campaign. I'll label each post "Election Issue" and present an argument. 

Election Issue 1: Enfield's Transparency Problem

The town insists it's open—except when it doesn't want to be.

Take the $586,000 Fermi Pickleball Court project. It was approved just two months after the town adopted its budget. It wasn't part of the Capital Improvement Plan. It didn’t come up during budget hearings and appeared on a council agenda just weeks later—catching even some council members by surprise.

"I am a little frustrated that this is coming now, a month or two after we approved the budget," said Councilmember Gina Cekala, a Democrat, during the July council meeting.

Surprise agenda capital items on significant, non-emergency issues aren't how town government should work. Let's make this a topic in the election, because the problem involves more than pickleball. Residents should ask candidates questions about the decison and process. 

The discussion of the pickleball courts is also raising a bigger issue at the council meeting—something Cekala framed.

"If we're spending this money here," said Cekala, she wants to ensure that whatever happens with the Annex, "we maintain control or lease, or whatever it is, of this area as well as all of the rest of the field."

Editor's note: An earlier version of this post did not mention that the Town Council vote to approve the $586,000 Fermi pickleball court project was unanimous. That omission has been corrected here. 

Election Issue 2: Let's Discuss Fermi

The town has been kicking the can down the road on Fermi for years. The building needs work, and it's costly to maintain. There's general agreement on that.

What we don't have is a public process to decide its future.

Here's how that could change:

1. Form a Fermi Reuse Advisory Committee

Comprised of citizens—ideally with experience in planning, real estate, or community development.

Town staff can assist, but no council member should chair or dominate this group.

The committee's first task: gather and review all data on the building's condition, usage, and costs.

2. Engage the Public—Broadly

Hold community forums.

Proactively reach out to nonprofits, private developers, the regional planning group, and so on.

3. Develop Reuse Scenarios - Brainstorming

Here are some possibilities:

-- Move most town departments to Fermi. Lease unused Town Hall space for housing or offices, taking advantage of the train station. Keep the meeting space.

-- Create a modern Enfield Public Library. The location could pair well with nearby youth recreation programs.

-- Partner with Asnuntuck Community College or workforce training initiatives.

-- Explore a mixed-use model. Housing is often the default, but don't rule out shared office space, light industrial use, or startup incubators.

-- Other possibilities that will likely be on the table include full demolition, or partial demolition to preserve the gym, pool, auditorium, and some office and recreation spaces.

The committee would evaluate the feasibility of each idea and eventually draft a Request for Proposals (RFP) for developers or nonprofits to respond to.

All meetings should be open to the public—and ideally livestreamed on YouTube.

Why This Matters

Whatever happens with Fermi—whether reuse, redevelopment, or even demolition—it will likely require bonding. And bonding requires voter approval, which is all the more reason to keep the public engaged.

A real public process increases trust. Being sneaky does the opposite. 
Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA

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