Republicans Fire First Salvo in Fall Election Campaigns

The chairman of the Republican Town Committee released a statement Thursday blaming the town’s Democratic legislators for a “malaise” that he claims has settled over Manchester since they assumed leadership of the Board of Directors and school board, prompting his Democratic counterpart to question whether they were even living in the same town.

“Despite being elected to a majority on the Board of Directors and the Board of Education, Manchester has been adrift for almost two years without any clear leadership or policy initiatives,” Republican Town Chairman Matthew Galligan said in a statement. “They don't lead, they just create chaos. The Board of Directors Democratic caucus voted against each other when adopting the 2010-2011 budget.  Directors [Lisa] O'Neill and [Rudy] Kissman voted for higher spending and higher taxes and against their caucus leader.”

Galligan said that the Democrats failed leadership also extended to the Board of Education, where Democrats currently control a 5-4 majority.

“The Manchester Board of Education is also in need of a strong jolt of energetic leadership.  Democratic control of the Board has seen a sense of dull complacency take over,” Galligan said.  “The Democrats allowed to collect a six-figure salary while sitting at home and a to call the tune rather then take direction. Yet again, a divided Board of Education Democratic caucus, devoid of leadership, allowed incumbent Maria Cruz to flip-flop her vote to close Nathan Hale School on a whim. A Republican Majority will hold administrators accountable for student safety, academic achievement, and responsible budgeting.  We will provide strong leadership and there will be no doubt over who's in charge.” 

In response to this criticism, Democratic Town Chairman Mike Pohl told Patch Thursday that Galligan’s statements were flat out misleading and that Democrats had established a strong record of bipartisanship while in control, unlike the “hyperpartisan politics” practiced under previous Republican-controlled boards.

“Over the past two years, Democratic Leadership on the Board of Directors has proposed and adopted across party lines two budgets that preserved services while keeping taxes low,” Pohl said in an email. “The hyperpartisan politics of the 2007-2009 Republican Board of Directors has been replaced with a Board that reaches across party lines. There have been over 30 Republican and unaffiliated voters that have been reappointed to town boards and commissions by Democrats that could have replaced these volunteers with registered Democrats.”

Pohl also noted that Democratic legislative efforts also helped the town recoup millions in state funds for the area that had languished under previous administrations.

“I am pleased that the Democratic legislative delegation in cooperation with a Democratic Board of Directors and a Democratic governor were able to deliver millions in state money for Broad Street redevelopment, something that the Republican Board of Directors failed to do for two years under a  Republican governor,” Pohl said.

Municipal elections, which will decide the makeup of the Manchester Board of Directors and Board of Education, will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8. Click for a list of the Democratic candidates and for a list of the Republican candidates.