The East Hartford Gazette

LETTERS FROM GAZETTE READERS

ASSESSOR APPOINTMENT

The Gazette Editor:

The most important appointment the new democratic administration at the town hall will have to make very soon is the assessor, a one man position with great power and authority to succeed the present three man board of assessors.

Under a recent legislative act, East Hartford is to have a one man full time assessor abolishing the three man board. This is a most important position, one that effects every property owner and home owner in East Hartford, Conn. It requires a qualified responsible person of education, sound judgment and long experience and training in this sort of work. In short, it requires a specialist in every meaning of the word. Those best qualified to know the needs of this position agree East Hartford does not possess a person of the necessary qualifications, and if the new administration considers the interests of the town of paramount importance, then it will seek the best man possible even though it means going outside the town boundaries to find him.

Political rumors are rife to the effect, a prominent democrat politician already has the inside track on the assessor position although by common consent he does not have the qualification for this most important of all town jobs. If and when such an appointment does get the nod from the finance board it will surely speed the day when East Hartford too will join the parade of progressive cities and towns adopting the Council Manager form of local government. West Hartford is a notable example of a successful Council Manager having had it for years with no regrets. Hartford has adopted the plan as has Manchester and other neighboring towns. Political plums with their good fat salaries to those not having the recognized ability for their town position are fast becoming out-moded as the citizens have had too much of that diet in the past and it only causes chronic indigestion, nausea and disgust. The democrat administration now has the chance to show itself big and broad in this appointment of appointments and disregard political plums and patronage, thinking of what is best for all the citizens and property owners of the town. There are inequalities in our assessments to be sure that need adjusting: there are other and large ones who have never paid their fair share of town taxes. Politicians whose chief thought is vote getting and fence building simply cannot perform this job fairly, wisely and impartially.

We must not forget the previous republican administration under Edward Stevens had the authority and votes to name the full time assessor and unquestionably were pestered by many of their politicians clamoring for the position but to the credit of Mr. Edward Stevens, apparently he was not stampeded into naming an unqualified politician for vote getting reasons, evidently waiting until they could locate the right man for the job. Mr. Stevens is entitled to take full credit for his stand in the matter. His stand is worthy of emulating at this time and it takes courage to disregard the clamoring politicians who demand their pie.

HOME-OWNER.

East Hartford, Nov. 2. 1947.