Hidden Agendas

Outside developers, proposing a new shopping center in the small town of Covingford, Connecticut, know they need approval of the local planning and zoning commission and the support of local politicians. They underestimate however, the force of an aroused and angry neighborhood, and a little old lady who attends every meeting.

On the surface, the proposed development sounds like a simple straightforward matter. However, the proposal quickly turns out to be anything but, starting with a rip-roaring New England town meeting.

Not everyone in Covingford embraces the new shopping center. To help grease the skids, the developer makes agreements with local politicians, hires a prominent local lawyer, and brings in an nefarious enforcer to put pressure on Dom "the Bomb" Columbo, head of the town's political committee.

As the inquisitive local reporter digs, her articles raise questions on the vacant land, adding fuel to the enraged neighbors. Covingford becomes a battleground. Everyone has a side, and every side has its own hidden agenda. The stakes rise, and drastic maneuvers are undertaken.

Written by a veteran of the often-volatile world of local Connecticut government, Hidden Agendas: Inside Town Hall reveals just how tangled and heated small-town politics can become.