Simsbury Board of Selectmen Februrary 9, 2026

Board of Selectmen Meeting February 9, 2026

According to the Charter, the First Selectman Section 412 Directions to employees.

No members of the Board of Selectmen, including the First Selectman or First Selectwoman shall give orders, either publicly or privately, to any administrative officer or employee as defined by Sections 503 and 701 of this Charter.

First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis is paid $10,000 to execute the duties of the First Selectman, under the Charter.

However, at the January 12, 2026 Board of Selectman meeting First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis tasked Deputy Town Manager, Tom Fitzerald the responsibility for the timing of the public during Public Audience, as the gatekeeper.

He would then, it appears, give First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis a signal if someone went over the 5-minute rule.

Since the Deputy Town Manager is an employee of the Town, First Selectman Wendy Mackstutuis cannot give any orders to staff, in violation of the Town Charter.

A violation of the Rule of Law.

Deputy Town Manager Tom Fitzgerald now has a resume enhancer when asked what was the highlight of his responsibilities as Deputy Town Manager, he can now describe this awesome task of timing speakers at a Board of Selectmen meeting where he was not a member.

Deputy Town Manager Tom Fitzgerald was tasked to be the timer to accommodate First Selectman Wendy Mackstutuis’s insecurity that causes her to get unhinged while running the meetings.

It appears that First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis does not meet the minimum requirements of the First Selectman, therefore the Board of Selectmen should remove her stipend completely.

Town Manager Marc Nelsonis is the Chief Executive Officer of the Town of Simsbury.

It appears that the lines between the responsibility of the First Selectman and Town Manager have been blurred.

First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis has blurred the lines between the responsibilities as a political representative of the Town and the role of Town Manager as the executive officer by asking Town Manger Marc Nelson to participate as a representative of the Town in political events.

First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis is a bully and uses this tactic since she votes on the Town Manager contract.

First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis convenes a Democrat caucus at a secret location to discuss the agenda items prior to the meeting.

Now we have been alerted to the Simsbury Democratic Party sponsoring straw candidates with a clean record as candidates to land-use committees and replacing them with candidates that appear to have conflicts of interest.

It is alleged that one of the unelected shadow candidates is a paid lobbyist to promote affordable housing.

It appears that this person has a hidden agenda and is using the Land Use Commission to further his mission in creating more affordable housing in Simsbury.

This bait and switch on candidates should not be promoted or condoned as acceptable behavior.

First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis has continually been operating out of her authority.

The Board of Selectmen should censure her behavior.

The Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association (SVAA) should not be receiving public funds and the taxpayers should not pay for another ambulance at a cost of $190,000 in addition to the promised financial support.

“The Town shall pay SVAA the sum of $200,000 for the first year, $180,000 the second year and $160,000 for the final year of the term of the agreement.”

It appears that the Board of Selectmen would rather keep funding a failed business plan, than make SVAA use whatever means they have to either increase revenues or partnership with a viable ambulance service such as AMR.

Avon uses AMR for their ambulance service at no cost to the taxpayers and provides good service to the Town.

The Board of Selectmen should invite a representative from AMR to come before the Board to provide insight into their business plan.

The Simsbury taxpayers should not be the piggybank for private organizations that cannot meet their financial responsibilities.

The taxpayers of Simsbury have been burdened with expenditures that benefit Simsbury Performing Arts (SPAC), a private organization, with building additions to Simsbury Meadows.

A Ticket Booth has been installed for the benefit of the SPAC and now we are erecting a 3,000 sq. ft. building for the exclusive use of the SPAC, a private organization.

Millions of taxpayer dollars are being misdirected to enhance the SPAC when the money could be used to lower the taxes which would help most of the Simsbury residents and the businesses in Town.

Simsbury has become a mecca for Special Interest groups to demand and receive benefits that are not afforded to the general population.

The Board of Selectmen are the gatekeepers of the expenditures and should use their authority to reduce taxes and increase revenues.