Tim O'Neil for Southbury First Selectman Holds Town-wide Forum on Tuesday, October 24

SOUTHBURY – Candidate for Southbury First Selectman Tim O’Neil will hold a town-wide forum at the Southbury Senior Center, 561 Main Street South, on Tuesday, October 24 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Southbury residents are invited to bring questions to the podium and Mr. O’Neil will be given an allotted period in which to answer.

“I am disappointed that our First Selectman has turned down an invitation to debate, as has been the precedent and time-honored tradition between candidates for First Selectman in Southbury for decades,” said Mr. O’Neil.

In an e-mail dated September 20^th, responding to the invitation to debate, Gary Garafolo, Chairman of the Southbury Republican Town Committee stated, “At this point, we believe that First Selectman Manville’s stances on the issues are clear, and our neighbors here in Southbury see them every day,” he said. “Given these facts, we don’t believe a debate is required,” Garafolo concluded.

“I quite honestly do not understand the arrogance of that statement. The voters of Southbury deserve the right to ask questions of candidates to help assess their qualifications, experience, accomplishments, and ideas,” said Mr. O’Neil. “I think Mr. Manville sometimes forgets that we live in a democracy and his refusal to debate disrespects the people of Southbury.”

Mr. O’Neil, age 62, is a lifelong, 4^th generation Southbury resident. He graduated from the University of San Diego in CA, where he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a Major in Accounting. Mr. O’Neil and his wife of 35 years, Mary, raised their two children in Southbury and their one-year-old granddaughter is the 6^th generation to be raised in town.

Tim owned and operated an outdoor property management company, Green Thumb Lawns, for more than 30 years. He is a certified realtor and holds a National Certification in Property Management for commercial and residential communities. Mr. O’Neil has completed courses in Financial Management, Facilities Management, Community Leadership, Risk Management, and Community Governance.

He is currently employed as a Certified Property Manager with Felner Corporation in Fairfield, CT specializing in facilities management of commercial property and HOAs. 

As a community activist, Mr. O’Neil spent years volunteering as a coach for Southbury Parks & Recreation Youth Basketball and Baseball, and at the Southbury Training School. He currently volunteers with the Southbury Land Trust and is a member of the Southbury Historical Society, and the Southbury Parks & Recreation Commission.

All Southbury residents are invited to attend the forum and ask questions. “I hope voters of all political affiliations will come out to hear my plans for Southbury in order to make an informed decision at the polls on Tuesday, November 7^th,” said O’Neil.