Betty Knox is the best candidate for Griswold Town Treasurer

Betty Knox is on the job everyday doing the work of the Griswold Town Treasurer. She is a Vietnam Era United States Veteran, a dedicated member of the Griswold ambulance medical crew, and has already been doing the job of Town Treasurer for over six months.

Betty Knox is the Best Candidate for Town Treasurer. Vote for Betty Knox.

This endorsement is the personal opinion of Ron Ward, the Founder of the Jewett City Party.



Our view: Special election comes at critical time for Griswold
Opinion of the Norwich Bulletin published on February 22, 2007

The political struggles in Griswold continue. There is a special election happening Tuesday for town treasurer. The position will be filled with the winner of the vote until November, when another election will occur.

In Griswold, these issues are not simple matters.

The vacancy came after Mary E. Miller, a Democrat and treasurer for about eight years, resigned mid-term in August. The Board of Selectmen voted 2-1 to appoint Elizabeth "Betty" Knox, another Democrat, to the post. Paul Brycki, the man who lost the first selectman's office to Anne Hatfield in a close election in 2005, was the dissenting vote. Brycki and Steven Merchant Sr. then circulated and submitted a petition to have a special election for the post.

Now, it's Knox vs. Democrat Patrick Collins for the seat. The special election will cost a minimum of $6,000. It's a cost Griswold can handle and voters wanted.

Democracy at work

An election can never be a bad thing, and the process that caused this election is democracy at work. We support a special election. But, we do not support the politicking that seems to be behind it. The lack of the Democratic Town Committee's suggestion for the position, in the first place, and Brycki's role in the vote and petition suggest to us motives were not democracy, but rather an attempt to oppose Hatfield for the sake of being contrary.

This would be politics at its worst, and a sign Griswold might be close to descending into the kind of dysfunctional operations that have embroiled Canterbury for more than four years.

What is of even greater concern is the potential for poor voter turnout. To many residents, the treasurer's position would seem to hold little significance. It is a position critical to the daily workings of the town, ensuring the bills are paid. However, it does not make policy.

We can only hope both candidates take the challenge of an election seriously, and they try to spread the word about the reasons each wants the job and what they each bring to the role. Only then will the residents be informed of their options. Then, perhaps, this election might have the chance of becoming about real issues and not just political shenanigans.