Election '09: First Selectman Voters Guide

Greenwich voters will decide on Tuesday between incumbent First Selectman Peter Tesei, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger Selectwoman Lin Lavery. The two candidates submitted answers to questions sent to them by the Post.

Peter Tesei

Peter J. Tesei was elected first selectman in November 2007. Before his election, he served on the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) for 10 years, as board clerk, vice chairman, and member of the budget committee. He spent six years on the BET as chairman. In 1987, when he was 18 years old, Mr. Tesei became the youngest member elected to the Representative Town Meeting and served 10 years, including as the Pemberwick/Glenville delegation vice chairman and chairman. He has also served as a board member of the United Way of Greenwich, American Red Cross Greenwich Chapter, and he is on the board of the Greenwich Council of Boy Scouts of America and the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Tesei was a vice president in BNY/Mellon’s Wealth Management Group. In 2005, he was recognized by the Fairfield County Business Journal as one of 40 under 40 business leaders demonstrating achievement and promise.

He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and in 2008, he was honored by the university for demonstrated leadership and achievement as one of 40 under 40 outstanding alumni.

A lifelong, fifth generation Greenwich resident, Mr. Tesei and his wife, Jill, live in Cos Cob with their children Caroline and James.

Lin Lavery

Elected to the Board of Selectmen in 2007, Lin Lavery has been a Greenwich resident for 26 years. She has a bachelor of arts degree from Marymount College and a master of arts in teaching from Columbia University. The mother of three Greenwich High School graduates, she is married to F. Tracy Lavery. She has served as the department chairwoman of a high school English department, vice chairwoman and chairwoman of Commission on Aging, president of the Junior League of Greenwich and as vice chairwoman of the United Way of Greenwich. A trustee of Greenwich Library, she also helped develop Kids in Crisis, helping thousands of children annually.

The candidates for first selectman were asked the following two questions:

1. Looking ahead to future years, how should the town continue to deal with economic conditions?

Mr. Tesei: As first selectman I will ensure that town departments and school administration live within the existing budget by reducing non-salary expense by 5%. Departments will be requested to keep open staff positions vacated by promotion, resignation, transfer or retirement, and to reorganize operations to create efficiencies. Departments should continue to identify alternative revenue sources.

These initiatives will continue in the department operations plans and budgets for fiscal year 2010-11. In collaboration with the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) and Representative Town Meeting (RTM), I will prioritize town services and look at alternative means for delivery. Citizen public-private partnerships that will address desirable capital improvement projects will be evaluated.

I am sensitive to the economic impact the global recession is having on our residents and am committed to Greenwich staying affordable. With my two decades of BET, RTM, and financial experience, I will manage wisely our finite tax dollars in support of essential town services: public safety, schools, environment and capital infrastructure.

Ms. Lavery: Despite years of favorable economic conditions during which my opponent sat on the BET, Greenwich was unprepared for the current fiscal crisis. There was no reserve fund to dip into, and no plan for maintaining stability. Even worse, we’ve repeatedly missed out on opportunities to access new funds. Because of the inaction of the first selectman, we received barely one-fifth of the stimulus funds of Westport, a community 40% our size. This is unacceptable.

As first selectman, I will utilize creative revenue streams and cost-cutting measures to close our budget gap. I support zero-base budgeting, opposed by the current administration, to make sure that all of our tax dollars are going to efficient programs. I will waste no time before working with the state and federal governments, as well as private entities, to make sure that we have access to all available funds, and can hold the line on taxes.

2. Does the town need more affordable, workforce and senior housing? If so, how can that need best be met?

Mr. Tesei: Greenwich provides a safety net to assist seniors to remain in their homes as long as possible through the senior center and the social services department.

The town’s 2009 Plan of Conservation and Development adopted by the RTM in June 2009 calls for the use of elderly accessory apartments and modification of the current building zone regulations to provide more flexibility for creation or conversion of accessory apartments for seniors. Senior housing should be located in proximity to essential services for the senior population.

When I returned to Greenwich after college graduation I sought affordable housing. The best entry was through the town’s large inventory of rental apartments, condominiums, co-ops and accessory apartments.

I support the increased utilization of the existing affordable accessory apartment regulation as recommended in the POCD. Also, I made the town Web site available to property owners to list work force available apartments.

Ms. Lavery: Greenwich is being legally required by the state of Connecticut to build additional units of affordable housing. This was a voluntary agreement we entered into in exchange for the land for the Cos Cob power plant. To act as though we have any say in the matter is to put our fiscal security at risk. Westchester County tried to do what my opponent has done — stall mandatory affordable housing construction in the hopes that the state would forget. They lost tens of millions of dollars in a lawsuit defending this position. Greenwich cannot afford to do the same.

The only debate we can have is about how and where to build this housing. I support a responsible, integrated structure of affordable housing that will not disrupt our communities. Further, there is a one-year wait for senior housing. This crisis must be addressed.