To the Editor:

At a recent Killingworth Board of Selectmen meeting, the town road crew foreman suggested the town's Pay As You Throw Committee (PAYT) run the town Waste Transfer Station.

We the PAYT members enthusiastically support Jim Ward's recommendation to selectmen! Mr. Ward's urging could not come at a better time. Tens of thousands of dollars in tax savings are going unclaimed at Killingworth's Transfer Station operations. Costly repairs are resulting from no preventive maintenance. While the reasons for this are many, it is just a few individuals responsible. Unfortunately it is the people we have most entrusted to safeguard our tax dollars.

As one might guess, it is selectmen and the town road foreman himself who set standards on whether tax dollars are safeguarded or squandered. Why are they not paying closer attention? Maybe it is town road foreman Ward's understandable frustration with his boss First Selectman Marty Klein or maybe even the entire Board of Selectmen….we are just not sure. Perhaps a town road foreman who lived in Killingworth and pays Killingworth taxes might be even more watchful of saving our tax dollars.

Lack of preventative maintenance, no advance planning, forgetfulness, or maybe just unrealistic optimism on the part of town officials, including Mr. Ward, have resulted in thousands of dollars of unanticipated repairs at the Transfer Station. It seems that an attitude of fearing "what if" has frozen our town officials in a state of costly reaction instead of forward and proactive thinking when it comes to the Transfer Station.

PAYT members have spent hundreds of hours listening to thousands of town residents and their comments. While town residents have overwhelmingly embraced PAYT's ideas, it seems as though town officials embrace an attitude of "we know best" or "don't question us." Could it be that they feel threatened by ideas not their own?

Town officials continue to resist implementation of numerous cost-savings measures recommended by PAYT. We, just as many of you, ask why? Why are so many of our elected and appointed officials stuck in an attitude of "can't do" rather than "will do?" We might have an answer! To many who lack real ideas, it is sometimes easier to do nothing. One idea our First Selectman has is to charge you to use the Transfer Station.

We at PAYT, as the committee studying and recommending improvements to the Transfer Station, strongly disagree with First Selectman Klein and his idea to dig deeper into your pockets. Just as we have said before, Transfer Station charges are clearly not necessary! Mr. Klein, we need to go after the numerous potential cost-savings first, and then let's talk about charging residents more!

Oh yes, as far as town road foreman Jim Ward's suggestion to let PAYT run the Transfer Station. Now that is a good idea! But there is one problem with it....Mr. Ward really didn't mean it. His comment was dripping with sarcasm as a desperate response to PAYT suggestions that just might work. Too bad that our town officials don't have more respect for their bosses, the taxpayers paying their salaries.

PAYT Committee