[Updated] Many Choices But Few Votes in Board of Selectmen Race

Voters may be limited in casting ballots for first selectman and selectmen this November but their choices will be numerous.

In addition to Republican Party-endorsed and current first selectman Richard Barlow, former police chief Lowell Humphrey and former selectman and Board of Education chairman Lou Daniels petitioned to run for the seat. Humphrey is an unaffiliated candidate and Daniels a Republican. No Democrat is running for the post.

For the selectmen race, Democrats nominated Thomas Sevigny and Jim Bixler while Republicans endorsed Stephen Roberto and David Gilchrist Jr. at a recent caucus.

In addition, current Republican Marc Cerniglia has thrown his hat into the ring – as an unaffiliated candidate. Kevin Jackson, a Republican, also petitioned to be on the November ballot as did Ben Holden, a member of the Green Party.

A petitioning candidate’s party is not indicated on the ballot, town clerk Linda Smith said.

To further add to the mix, losing first selectman candidates are bumped down into the selectmen pool. There are four “regular” selectmen and only three can be of the same party. An unaffiliated candidate could in fill the other spot to satisfy the minority representation, Smith confirmed.

That leaves the possibility that a major party could be shut out from the selectmen pool as well as the possibility for a continued Republican supermajority.

Despite all the choices, voters are somewhat limited in their ballots.

The town’s current charter, adopted in November of 2009, states, “A political party may nominate and an Elector may vote for one (1) candidate for First Selectman and not more than two (2) other candidates for the Board of Selectmen.”

Earlier this year, selectmen appointed a charter revision commission to raise the number to 3 selectmen, as it had traditionally been. The commission also recommended staggered terms and a few other changes. To the disappointment of some, including current Democratic selectmen Bruce Lockwood, who is not seeking re-election, the proposed changes did not completely separate the selectmen's race from the first selectman's.

The potential changes were brought to voters in June but not enough people cast ballots to validate them. The tally was 446 to 166 but  1,024 voters, or 15 percent of those qualified, were needed to validate the changes.

On Aug 10, selectmen voted to again bring those proposed changes to voters in November.

“Clearly there was support for it but not enough turnout,” Barlow said.

However, the changes would not affect this election but rather begin in four years. Voters do, however, have to validate the changes within 15 months of the board's decision to pass them on. Selectmen voted to do so April 6.