Simsbury Board of Selelctmen Meeting December 15, 2025

Board of Selectmen Meeting December 15, 2025

On December 1, 2025 at the Board of Selectmen Meeting, after the swearing in of the elected officials, First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis was completely unhinged in discussing her role in creating a lack of transparency and violation of First Amendment Rights when conducting a meeting.

First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis tried to limit who, what and when the public can address the board, in violation of the democratic process.

Selectman Beal, a Republican with minority representation, was concerned that First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis was holding secret meetings, a caucus, with most Democrats prior to meetings to reach a consensus of agenda items, limiting discussion of policy actions that affect all of us.

As a control freak, First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis, has predetermined what all the votes would be on the motions.

The requirements for Public Hearings before the board are a sham since the votes were pre-determined and all the public dialog is window dressing to a failed democratic process.

Despite all this dialog, the Board of Selectmen had discussion on the salary of the First Selectman with a determination that the salary should be increased from $10,000 to $15,000, when all other towns with Town Managers do not receive a salary.

This is a frivolous use of taxpayer dollars when budgets are increased year after year.

On December 10, 2025 the Board of Finance had a hearing on the appropriation of an additional $388,000 for the shortfall in the Performing Arts 3,000 sq., ft., the “Next Act” project.

The cost of the Referendum is $10,000

In May 2024 the Simsbury Performing Arts Center Bandshell Expansion ‘Next Act’ Project was approved at referendum for a total value of $2,782,881, which was funded via $900,000 in state grants, $1,032,881 in donations, and $850,000 in capital reserve funds. Current project costs, including design, administration, construction, and known change orders total $2,779,519, leaving a contingency balance of only $3,362. Staff does not recommend moving forward with the project without sufficient contingency to account for unforeseen conditions that may arise during the construction process. Therefore, staff is requesting an additional $388,000 in funding to adequately move forward with the project. This dollar value also allows items to be added back to the project that have previously been value engineered out.

At a Board of Selectmen meeting, a supplemental appropriation of $388,000 was approved for recommendation to the Board of Finance.

The Simsbury Performing Arts raised $1,032,881 in donations and stated that they would pay for all additional costs.

$100,000 of the donated money was transferred to a different project.

This project is being built without thorough vetting and with additional costs at taxpayer expense due to the failure of the Simsbury Performing Arts to live up to their agreement.

The Town has the agreement with a private organization to build a 3,000 sq. ft. building for the sole use of the Performing Arts at taxpayer expense with an open check book.

This is voodoo economics.

Both the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance are being bamboozled into the Performing Arts mantra that it is beneficial to the community when most of the tickets for the concerts are sold to people out of town, leaving the Simsbury taxpayers with the costs and increased traffic.

This building appears to be solely for the Simsbury Performing Arts organization to meet, greet and be merry at taxpayer expense.

There is a saying, “You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”

The Simsbury electorate should wake up to the Simsbury Performing Arts folly and ‘VOTE NO’ on the Referendum vote, January 24, 2026.

I am sharing the link to the Board of Finance Meeting on December 10, 2025 where there was intense discussion on the projected costs of the building.

https://simsburytv.org/v/MeTIo2wsc8Y

It is time for the taxpayers to vote “NO CONFIDENCE” in our elected officials by rejecting the Referendum and stop work on the proposed project until the private Special Interest organization raises the money to complete the project for their use.

Simsbury Performing Arts can replace the failed project with trailers that have been used in the past.