Seeking Re-Election, Knickerbocker Says 'We're Moving Forward'

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First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker is, of course, optimistic about November.

"You can't get into business if you're not optimistic," he says.

Knickerbocker is optimistic about the Democrats' slate of candidates, unanimously endorsed by Democrats at caucuses July 22. Alongside returning faces, two first-time candidates are on the Board of Education ticket, New Milford teacher Michelle Menegay and area mother Jennifer Ackerman.

He's also optimistic about his record. He cites infrastructure improvements like the library renovation, the reconstitution of the old train station and the four-year road recovery program.

"I spent the whole morning this year talking to the road crews while they were working," he says. "We've got three construction sites underway and will be moving into Stony Hill in the next week or so. It's moving right along."

Knickerbocker says he's also proud of an "exciting four years," including success in finances.

"We've been bringing down the debt load ... really putting the town's finances in the best possible order," he says. "One of the things we will be known for is bringing everybody together to work for the benefit of the town. For four consecutive years, our budgets have passed easily on the first try. That's not consistent with Bethel's history."

He dismisses criticisms from some that the Aquarion deal earlier this year was "haphazard and clandestine," in the words of Republican First Selectman hopeful Will Duff.

"They really defy logic," says Knickerbocker. "The criticism that the deal wasn't brought forward in a transparent matter is absurd."

He says in some cases, officials regularly don't go to the public "until you have something to the public with," and adds all moves were done in strict accordance with state law and the town charter.

"When you have those details in place, you bring it forward," he says. "That's exactly what we've done. The idea that anything was done improperly -- that's just pure political rhetoric. There's no validity to that."

It was, he adds, a bipartisan proposal, a "critical point" voters should be aware of, in his words, citing Selectman Paul Szatkowski, Public Utilities Commission member Mike Gribbin and Board of Finance chairman Bill Kingston, who supported the proposal. But he adds the Aquarion deal is in the past.

"I think it's a mistake for anybody to base their entire campaign on what happened a month and a half ago," he says. "That's over. We're moving forward. We still have a lot of work to do."