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10/11/2019 12:00 AMCandidates from both parties will discuss their positions on North Branford issues – and take some questions collected from the audience – during the 2019 Town Council Candidates' Forum on Wednesday, October 23, 7:30 p.m. at the Stanley T. Williams Community Center in Northford, 1332 Middletown Ave.
All twelve candidates --six Democrats and six Republicans – vying for the Town Council's nine seats will participate in the forum, which is being hosted by the League of Women Voters of the East Shore (LWVES).
The forum is designed to help voters hear from the candidates themselves before the electorate heads to the the town's polling places on Nov. 5 to decide North Branford's 2019-21 Town Council, among other elective positions on the ballot.
The October 23 Town Council's Candidates Forum is being organized by a bi-partisan subcommittee of LWVES members from North Branford including George Miller, Vincent Candelora and Mary Bigelow, Miller told Zip06/The Sound. Bigelow will moderate the forum.
The six Democrats running for 2019-21 Town Council are incumbent candidates Joseph Faughnan and Marie Diamond together with candidates Daniel Armin, Joseph P. Martin Jr., Lou Paternoster and Brenda Shuler.
The six Republicans running for 2019-21 Town Council are incumbent candidates Mayor Michael Doody, Deputy Mayor Rose Marie Angeloni, Robert Viglione and Thomas Zampano together with candidates Ronald Pelliccia Jr. and Walter Goad.
Miller said the public is invited to attend the forum, which will also be taped by Totoket TV. Audience members will have the opportunity to provide election-appropriate questions for candidates, some of which will be added to the night's forum discussion, said Miller.
The Town Council is the legislative body of the Town of North Branford. Members are elected for a two-year term and serve without pay. The Town Council enacts ordinances and resolutions and establishes policy for the Town. The Town Council also serves as the Finance Board for North Branford as well as the Town's Water Pollution Control Authority.
Among the nine candidates elected, the candidate receiving the most overall votes is recognized as Mayor, and second-most votes received, Deputy Mayor. By Town Charter, the Town Council can have a maximum majority of six members of one party. Currently, the Town Council is made up of six Republican members and three Democratic members. Of those current members, Republican councilmen Al Rose and Anthony Candelora and Democratic councilman George Miller are not running for re-election.
North Branford's municipal elections will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. Comments from the chairmen of the Democratic and Republican town committees, including goals for their respective teams of candidates running for offices on the 2019 ballot, will appear in upcoming stories at Zip06/The Sound.