Author Archives: Timothy C. Griswold

Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme First Selectman Endorses Matt Ward for Town Treasurer

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To the Editor:

Matt Ward is on our Board of Selectmen and he is also one of our part-time Police officers.  In addition, he is very active in the Town’s Little League program.  Matt has recently accepted a position with a local accounting firm, so he will not seek reelection to the Board of Selectmen.  However, he is seeking to be elected as our Town Treasurer on November 7th.

The Town Treasurer is responsible to manage the Town’s investable funds and works closely with our Finance Director to be sure funds are available to pay the Town’s obligations in a timely manner.  The Treasurer must ensure the funds are invested safely and in accordance with audit policies.

Matt’s financial background includes serving as the Interim Finance Director of a neighboring town where he works closely with its Treasurer.  That town uses the same accounting software that Old Lyme uses, so Matt is well versed in its features.  In fact, when our prior Finance Director was out on leave during last year’s budget season, Matt was able to fill in to enable the budget process to move forward seamlessly.

In contrast, our current Treasurer, Michael Reiter, did not distinguish himself during this period.  First, he complained that he was not informed that our Finance Director was out on leave.  The Treasurer and the Finance Director are supposed to work closely with each other, so why was Michael in the dark?  Perhaps because he wasn’t doing his job?   Next, when the Board of Finance asked him for an update on how the Town’s funds were invested, Michael had to be educated about the various accounts and he learned they were not invested very effectively.

Let’s elect Matt Ward to be our Treasurer because he has the knowledge to do the job and the commitment to follow through.  

Sincerely,

Timothy Griswold,
Old Lyme, CT.

Editor’s Note: The author is a Republican and the current Old Lyme (OL) First Selectman. He is not seeking re-election. Reiter (D) is the current OL Town Treasurer and endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee for the position in the upcoming election. Ward (U) is endorsed by the Republican Town Committee for the position of Town Treasurer in the same election.

Letter to the Editor: Griswold Explains Why He’s Running Again for Old Lyme First Selectman, Says Reemsnyder is “Ethically-Challenged”

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To the Editor:

After serving 14 years as Old Lyme’s First Selectman through 2011, I am running again to lead the town. At our Republican caucus in July, we had excellent candidates for all open positions, save that of First Selectman.

Within days, news broke that our current First Selectwoman, who was the long-standing chair of the finance committee and then chairwoman of the board of the Connecticut Port Authority, was involved with serious problems there. I felt compelled to run for First Selectman to challenge my opponent’s ethically-challenged leadership. I undertook a petition drive and gathered twice the amount of signatures required.

Since 2011, I was elected to be Town Treasurer and a member of the Board of Assessment Appeals. I also serve on the MacCurdy Salisbury Educational Foundation, LOL Chamber of Commerce and the Old Lyme Historical Society. I know how local, regional and state government works and how to tap resources for the benefit of the town. I am ready to lead our town and will listen to our residents to learn their priorities, not pursue Hartford initiatives that are not right for our town.

Please vote for me and the well-qualified Row B candidates on November 5th!

Sincerely,

Timothy C. Griswold,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Old Lyme Town Government Needs to be Managed Better, Outsourced Less

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To the Editor:

Issue: Poor management from the First Selectwoman’s office may result in the outsourcing of Old Lyme’s police services to the Town of East Lyme.

Background:  Over the last few years poor decisions have created low morale within the ranks of our Town’s police.  This has led to the filing of numerous grievances that cost the Town thousands of dollars and resulted in the resignation of two police officers – 33% of our local force.  To make matters worse, our First Selectwoman did not replace the officers for 14 months!

Consequence:  Countless shifts were not manned or were filled by State Troopers at about double the hourly rate of our own police.  Unfilled shifts put the citizens of Old Lyme at risk and put our police at risk, due to inadequate backup.  Police legal costs last year were an astonishing $31,000, and the Selectman’s legal budget was overspent by 60%.

Solution:  The solution to the police issue is better management; not outsourcing or spending thousands of dollars on lawyers.  Jude Read and Chris Kerr will supply that better management and are committed to improving morale and keeping our police services LOCAL.

Action:  Vote for Jude Read, First Selectwoman, and Chris Kerr, Selectman, on November 7th.

Sincerely,

Timothy Griswold,
Old Lyme

Editor’s Note: The author was First Selectman of the Town of Old Lyme from 1997-2011.

Letter to the Editor: Lanier is Better Choice; Has Experience, Strong Credentials

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To the Editor:

Vicki Lanier is the better choice for Republican voters when we vote for our candidate to be State Representative of the 23rd District in the August 12th Primary.

She was elected to the Lyme/Old Lyme School Board. She owns a successful small business and is a family law attorney who interfaces with many State agencies. She is a fourth generation resident of Old Lyme and is a lifelong Republican who has voted consistently in municipal and state/federal elections. In short, Vicki is the real deal and her experience will enable her to be an effective voice for us in Hartford.

Contrast this record with that of her opponent. He has not been elected to any political office, he changed his party affiliation in July of 2010 and he has changed his voting address three times in the last two years (from Saybrook to Essex to Westbrook and back to Saybrook). His voting record shows he did not vote in three of the last four municipal elections!

Given Vicki’s experience and strong credentials, we can depend on her to competently represent us in Hartford. Please join me in voting for Vicki on August 12th.

Sincerely,

Timothy C. Griswold,
Old Lyme