Letter to the Editor: 08.29.2024

08.29.24

To the Editor:

Watertown did not get a $63,000 grant for our Senior Center because the Town dragged its feet for 14 months.

Four years ago, the budget for the Senior Center was $134,793. Today, it is $261,758, an increase of 94%.  Much of the increase is for additional staff and higher salaries, but when the staff had a chance to get funds to offset some of our expenses, they blew it.

The state grant was announced on February 10, 2023. The towns that applied early received their funds in 2023.  In April 2023, the public questioned that status of the grant application, but it wasn’t until April 26, 2024 that the Town asked the State to review the application and deemed it ready for submission.

The original application deadline was June 28, 2024, but the State legislature moved it up, and it closed on May 7, 2024. Watertown submitted its grant application on May 8 – a day too late.  Why wasn’t our grant application submitted in 2023 or immediately after it was deemed ready?

Town management allowed a substantial amount of free money to go down the drain.  Having just been hit with a record tax increase, this is hard to swallow. Who is responsible?  Is it the Town Manager who received the grant notifications, or is it the director of the Senior Center?

Someone needs to get on the ball.  Losing free money is not an option.

Katherine Camara

Katherine Camara, 31 Cottage Place, Oakville, CT 06779

203-592-2043