New Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn Takes Oath of Office

Brookfield, CT- By Scott Benjamin.

Following an ambitious campaign in which he visited 1,400 residences and enlisted the support of several residents who had not been active until recently on municipal issues, Steve Dunn was sworn into office this week to start his transition from Wall Street to Town Hall.

Dunn, who, in particular, attracted a following among parents of school-age children, is a retired vice president at J.P Morgan Chase. He and his wife, Cassie, have been active in civic activities since arriving in Brookfield more than 30 years ago.

He joined his wife, who is a former cross country coach at Brookfield High School, in leading the drive to restore the all-weather track at the school about 18 years ago. Their family sponsors a Mother’s Day race each year to raise funds to maintain the track.

Over the last year, Dunn and Democratic leaders built a diversified ticket that included Democratic stalwarts, civic volunteers, Republicans and unaffiliated voters.

The inauguration ceremony Sunday at Center Elementary School featured two political dignitaries who have reverence for municipal leaders.

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-5) of Cheshire told CTNewsJunkie in 2011 that her most valuable experience had been the three years that she served on the Town Council in her hometown. “It’s where the rubber meets the road,” she added.

Esty said it could be nerve-racking to be on the stair-master at the local health club and know that your vote that night at the Town Council meeting could raise the taxes on the people exercising next to you.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Greenwich), who joined Esty in swearing in the municipal officials, told The Housatonic Times at a fund-raiser for New Milford Democratic candidate Bob Coppola in 2009 that he considered the jobs of mayor and first selectman to be the toughest assignments in government.

Elected officials have said for years that the power of referendum and the closeness to your constituents makes it a difficult job.

In his brief remarks, Dunn said he would maintain open government and would be accessible to the public.

Also sworn into office were Sue Slater, a longtime civic volunteer, as one of the other selectmen and veteran Selectman Marty Flynn, who has held a raft of municipal and Republican political posts over the last 12 years.

Esty administered the ceremonial swearing in for Joan Locke, who will be officially take office next month for her fifth term as town clerk, and first-term Town Treasurer John Lucas, who in January will officially succeed former state representative David Scribner. Scribner served as town treasurer for 20 years.

Also sworn in were: Robert Marconi and Steve Villodas, Zoning Board of Appeals; Mara Frankel and Rick McCarty, Zoning Commission; David Frankel and Jon Van Hise, Planning Commission; Brian Lerner and Stanley Parker, Board of Assessment Appeals; Bob Belden, Paul Checco, Tara Lerner, Eve Sturdevant and Colette Sturm, Board of Education; and Sean Hathorn and Mark Zerbe, Board of Finance.

Departing Selectman Bill Davidson was the master of ceremonies at the event, which attracted a Standing Room Only crowd to the school gymnasium.

Davidson, who formerly ran an insurance company, began his municipal government career on the Board of Finance in 1988. He has been a central figure in three major transitions in Brookfield municipal government over the last 12 years.

He was the principal organizer of Republicans United For Brookfield, the organization that helped get Jerry Murphy elected as first selectman and other members of his ticket into office in 2003.

Davidson changed his affiliation from Republican to unaffiliated in 2009 so that he could get nominated as the Democratic candidate for first selectman. He won a three-way race by 288 votes to become the first Democratic nominee to be elected first selectman since the 1985 campaign when Ken Keller captured his second term.

During this year’s campaign Davidson was a part of Dunn’s campaign team.

State Rep. Steve Harding (R-107) of Brookfield also attended the inauguration. He also serves on the Brookfield Board of Education.