The First Selctman is the chief executive officer of town government. She presides over the Board of Selectmen and…More retains an ex-officio seat on all municipal boards and commission.</p> <p>Pat Ilodra, a former school district administrator , Board of Education and Legislative Council member, was elected Newtown's first selectman in 2009.</p>

Fairfield Hills was once a bustling campus that was home to a state mental institution from 1931 to 1995. During that…More time, the campus was teeming with activity from the thousands of patients and  staff who lived and work there. "It had its own police and firefighting force and in many ways operated like a separate and distinct "mini-city" within Newtown," former workers said. The state eventually closed the hospital, and in 2004 Newtown bought the property.</p> <p>The Fairfield Hills Authority was established as a municipal development agency for the property. In 2008, a local businessman built the Newtown Youth Academy, which boasts an indoor turf field and other athletic facilities for use by youth teams as well as an membership-based fitness center.  Last year, the Municipal Center, which holds the offices for most town agencies, such as the Board of Education and Board of Selectmen, also opened.</p> <p>As of 2010, the town was still wrestling with what to do with the property, particularly given the slow economy.</p> <p>The Board of Selectmen is organizing a committee to review the master plan for Fairfield Hills.</p> <p>In addition to buildings, many of which will eventually have to be torn down given their condition, the site features several popular walking trails.</p>