Cathy Iino

As long as Killingworth can find energetic, competent men and women to serve as first selectman, we should not give up the benefits of directly electing our town administrator. An appointed town manager would be an expensive addition to our budget. (I don't think any town of our size in Connecticut has a town manager.) He or she would be one step removed from accountability to the community; just as important, our selectmen would be one step further insulated from the day-to-day realities of life on the ground.

That said, I believe that we should tap into some of the sources of expertise available to help us better manage the town. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, universities such as Yale and the U. Conn., collaborative regional groups, and nonprofit organizations in areas ranging from the environment to pension planning offer a wide variety of information and advice, often without charge. No doubt our town services and procedures can be improved, but we do not need to reinvent the wheel for each vehicle we launch.