As a former selectman and holder of many appointed committees, I find the town of Litchfield in great turmoil. We had a recall on a Board of Selectmen member who had some great ideas upon his election in June. Unfortunately, he used a strong approach right from the start. I don’t agree with all of his actions but some were justified and long overdue. Nepotism, the “good-old-boy network,” and some very questionable positions that we still have today were some of his issues.

In the last election, Rayna Leibowitz lost by 12 votes in a recount. But let’s not forget that she had 336 votes against her in a three-way race. We don’t need someone as a selectman who is trying to lengthen their obituary or because “mama done it.”

It is hard to see under a dirty rug if you don’t lift it. What Litchfield needs is five accountable selectpeople, and no more than three or four appointed positions to a few of the “good old boys.” Accountability, honesty, and published bids that aren’t changed at a later date should be goals of the selectmen.

When I moved here 45 years ago, Litchfield was a good town. We had level-headed, common-sense officials, an acceptable tax rate and people that cared. Now it is, “How much money can I make from the town?” We can’t go back but we can do better.

Walt McCarty

Litchfield