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10/24/2017 12:00 AMWith Election day only two weeks away on Tuesday, Nov. 7, Clinton voters have the chance to make potentially radical changes to the town’s government—both in the composition of the various boards and in the style of government.
Unlike many area towns, many of the seats in this year’s elections face challenges. Below is a rundown of the names that will appear on the ballot. The Harbor News will print sample ballots next week, and readers can find profiles on the first selectman candidates along with letters to the editor at Zip06.com/election.
The first choice Clinton voters have is one vote for first selectman. The candidates that will appear on the ballot are Democrat and current Planning & Zoning Commission member Christine Goupil, and Republican and current Board of Finance alternate member Kirk Carr. While their names will not appear on the ballot, current First Selectman Bruce Farmer (R) is running as a write-in candidate as is Vince Cimino (see “Cimino Campaigns Again” on page 32).
For the Board of Selectmen, voters can choose two. Candidates include Tim Guerra (D), Jack Scherban (D), Carol Walter (R), and Phil Sengle (R). Walter is the only incumbent to be listed on the ballot. Republicans currently hold a 3-2 majority on the board. Four seats are open, though the losing first selectman candidates also compete for a seat on the board, effectively making this a race of seven candidates for four seats. Board of Selectman members and the first selectman are up for reelection every two years.
The next contested race is the Board of Finance race. Three seats are open and voters may choose three candidates from Democrats Dara Onofrio, John Olsen, and Michael Smith and Republicans Gary Bousquet and Thomas Hellinger. If elected, the candidate will serve for four years.
For the Board of Education, voters may cast a vote for four of the candidates, but not more than two from one party may be elected to a four-year term. The Democrats running are Erica Gelven, Jason Adler, and Kimberly Russo. The Republicans are Todd Pozefsky, and Douglas Traynor. Hugh Birdsall is running as a member of the Green Party. The board consists of seven members, with four spots up for grabs in this election.
After the Board of Selectmen race, the Planning & Zoning Commission vote may be the most-discussed race up for election. Voters may select five candidates for five open seats. Each candidate serves for a four-year term. The Democrats are running Michael Rossi, Amandeep Singh, and Ellen Dahlgren. The Republicans are running Michael Hughes, Adam Moore, and Drew Richards. James Connolly is running for the Green Party,and Edward Alberino is running for the Clinton First party.
For the Board of Police Commissioners, four candidates are vying for three seats. The Democrats are running Lynn Hidek and Edward Tessman. The Republicans are running Kim Neiri-Simoncini and Dominic Morelli. Elected members will serve a four-year term.
For the Judge of Probate, voters can choose between Democrat Jeannine Lewis and Republican Anselmo Delia.
Several races are uncontested in the election on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
For Planning & Zoning Commission alternate seats, Bethany Knight is running as a Democrat and Jeffrey Cashman is running as a member of the Clinton First party. Both will be seated.
For the Zoning Board of Appeals, voters can cast a vote for any three candidates to fill four open positions. Bertram Schmitz and Charles McEvoy are running for the Democrats, while Mark Richards is running for the Republicans. For the Zoning Board of Appeals Alternates, voters can choose any two candidates. Nancy Stone is running for the Democrats and Jay Ciarleglio is running for the Republicans. All Zoning Board of Appeals candidates will be seated for a four-year term on the board.
Three races are running only one candidate on the ballot. Republican Todd Pozefsky is running for Town Treasurer. Democrat Dolly Mezzetti is running for Board of Assessment Appeals and Republican Chris Aniskovich is running for the Board of Assessment Appeals alternate.
Charter Questions
In addition to the town government races, voters will also see three questions about proposed changes to the town charter. For full coverage of these proposed changes, see the story on the front page and additional coverage at zip06.com. The three questions voters can vote on are whether the town shall hire a town manager and make all the needed changes to do so, whether the charter should be amended to provide for the hiring of a town planner, and whether the town should make all other changes as recommended by the charter commission.
On Election day, polls open at 6 a.m. in the Green Room at Town Hall and will be open until 8 p.m.