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Neil Vigdor, Greenwich Time Staff Writer
Much to the dismay of her Democratic opponent Stephen Ng -- her first foe since 1991 -- GOP Town Clerk Carmella Budkins has declined to appear in an upcoming debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Greenwich.
The nonpartisan organization invited the candidates for both town clerk and tax collector to participate in a debate next Tuesday night at Town Hall.
Everyone except for Budkins, who is seeking an 11th term this fall, accepted, according to the league.
"I feel like she's trying to dodge the debate and maybe win on popularity," said Ng, 26, a pharmacy technician at CVS pharmacy on Greenwich Avenue and a Representative Town Meeting member from District 8/Cos Cob...
Always among the top vote-getters, Budkins, 64, said she has to tend to a family matter. She would not elaborate in response to an inquiry from the newspaper...
...Jara Burnett, the league's vice president for voter services and the debate's organizer, said she received an email Sept. 1 from Budkins declining the invitation....
....Burnett added that she gave Budkins the option to appear with Ng at an Oct. 5 debate for Board of Selectmen candidates, also at Town Hall and sponsored by the league.
Budkins also declined that invitation, first by phone and then by email, Burnett said.
"This is to confirm our phone conversation on Friday, Sept. 9, that I cannot commit to anything at this time due to family matters," read the email as quoted by Burnett....
....Ng can accept if his opponent has more pressing priority.
"If really someone is ill in her family, I wish them well and a speedy recovery," Ng said.
At the same time, Ng expressed his bewilderment that Budkins is not available to debate on any other date.
"I think it's important because the citizens of Greenwich need to know what we have to offer for the town," Ng said....
....Budkins said she doesn't think the lack of a debate will be a hindrance to her opponent.
"He has every opportunity to go out and meet the public every day," Budkins said.
Ng begged to differ.
"Right now, I think it's a matter of popularity," Ng said. "She's very popular. She knows a lot of people. She's grown up in town, and that's how I think she plans on winning."
The only time Budkins has been in a contested race was during her first run for town clerk in 1991.
In addition to being the custodian of vital and property records, the town clerk is responsible for distributing absentee ballots for elections. The clerk is also a fixture at RTM meetings, helping to tally votes and record minutes for the 230-member citizen legislature.
The annual pay for town clerk is slated to increase to $91,000 from $89,411 on Jan. 1, 2012, then to $92,350 on Jan. 1, 2013.
A 14-year town resident originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., Ng said the town clerk's office needs to make accommodations for the often-hectic schedules of residents.
He wants to expand online access to property records and extend the office hours beyond 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. within union rules.
Ng is hoping to take advantage of grant money from the Connecticut State Library, which gets a cut of copying fees charged by the town clerk, to implement a new computer operating system like the one used in Norwalk.
"It's more user friendly," Ng said. "It's more accessible."....
Read more: http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Greenwich-town-clerk-challenger-Ng-cries-foul-2182204.php#ixzz1YgCOeXgP...ALSO TODAY:
IN AOL'S GREENWICH PATCH NEWS WEBSITE
I am the Democratic candidate for Town Clerk. I reside in Cos Cob and I am a member of the RTM. I was born in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Greenwich at the age of thirteen as my parents highly valued the prospect of greater educational opportunities.
I am a 2003 graduate of Greenwich High School and went on to study Psychology and Political Science at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. I began my undergraduate tenure in pursuit of a pre-medical course of study, but in my junior year developed a keen interest in becoming more civically
engaged. I applied for an congressional internship with Congressman Jim Himes shortly thereafter and during that experience I fell in love with politics and became deeply committed to the preservation and advancement of the democratic process.
Beyond my service contribution to Congressman Himes, I have since worked on various campaigns, during these campaigns I availed countless opportunities in which I merged theoretical concepts taught by my undergraduate professors with real life applications. Most profoundly, I learned firsthand that “democracy is not a spectator sport.”
My vision for the Office of Town Clerk is simple and can be summed up by my slogan “New Vision. New Direction.” Together, we must embrace the changes necessary to ensure effective, fiscally conservative, governance in the 21st century.
Neighboring Town Clerks are leading the charge with innovations, such as citizen friendly websites which allow constituents to make full use of the services their local government has to offer in an easily accessible, convenient way.
Technology is coming fast, and we can not deny this. If elected I promise to make initiatives such as this and others, my utmost priorities. I intend to implement a new system called the "New Vision."
Town Clerks in Stamford and Norwalk already have this system in place, the Norwalk Town Clerk estimates that it save $40,000 to $60,000 per year. With this cost effective system, advancing the technological infrastructure of Greenwich and digitizing Greenwich Town record will be easy, and secure.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m is not a very convenient schedule for working people, especially ones who make the long commute into NYC, as your next town clerk I will improve accessibility to local government by extending office hours, in compliance to the Greenwich Union rules, and will introduce the Mobile Town Clerks office which will bring services directly to citizens.
I believe the citizens should put partisan politics aside and vote for the person with the best ideas for the future of Greenwich, not for the "most popular" candidate or someone who has done a good job, but doesn't necessarily have the ideas to move Greenwich forward into the 21st century. As I already mentioned, technology is coming fast and we cannot deny it, as your next town clerk, it would be an honor to be the one that lays down this technological foundation for the future of this great town.
Unfortunately, the incumbent will not be able to debate me, which will not allow her to discuss where she thinks the office will be headed in the next 6 years. Please feel free to email me with any question about my candidacy at: StephenEngee@gmail.com
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