Andriote: McDaniel Should Take Permanent Vacation

Montville is being overwhelmed with legal and financial problems, yet where was Mayor Ron McDaniel?  He was on vacation and only after six months in office. I guess he needed a vacation because the job was too much.  I haven’t ever heard of any past Mayors leaving for vacation only after six months in office and during a budget session, but McDaniel did.  So what other messes did he leave behind?

A Town employee on administrative leave for over four months because McDaniel couldn’t make a decision so he handed it over to the Council, by Charter their not supposed to make the decision.  A second Town employee under investigation by the State Police for misuse of the public safety COLLECT system. 

But that’s not all, McDaniel also left behind an employee harassment case that he has been investigating since October 2011, He now hired a Law Firm to investigate that case. I’m also wondering if he is going to pass that off to the council next. All these investigations are costing taxpayers thousands of dollars in Lawyers’ fees because he won’t do the job himself, maybe that’s because  he might have to make a decision himself, I don’t think he’s capable of doing that.  I’m sure he’s not going to get involved with the possible loss of jobs with the closing of the Hostess Distribution Center. At the council meeting they had to meet without the Mayor, which means, they had to make decisions on Employee the contracts without input from the Mayor who negotiated those contracts.

Let’s not forget he also proposed over a six mill increase for the taxpayers and businesses in town even after slashing the education budget. I’m sorry, but his actions in the last six months have proven that he is not qualified to hold the position of Mayor in the Town of Montville.  Maybe Mayor McDaniel should take a permanent vacation from his office and let the town elect someone who is not afraid to make decisions and who is not going to play politics and keep spending money for Lawyers to do what he’s supposed to be doing.

James Andriote Sr.