Darien Government Officials Sworn In During Town Hall Ceremony

DARIEN, CT — Darien's government officials were sworn in one day after the municipal election in a ceremony at town hall.

First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky took the oath of office from Town Clerk Krista McNamara, and thanked Selectman Monica McNally, his predecessor as the town's chief elected official, in brief remarks.

Zagrodzky also thanked town hall employees and said he was looking forward to working with them.

"All of you here make this place work. You work every day. I would put the people who work for the town of Darien against any town in the state of Connecticut, or frankly, the United States. You guys are consummate professionals and we are very lucky to have you. I'm thrilled to be working with you in this new capacity," Zagrodzky said, noting that the day was an important one for the town and himself.

"I'm thrilled to be here. I'm very happy to be your new first selectman, and I look forward to getting started. I'm extremely delighted that our selectmen team is staying intact and that we're going to continue to work together as a team. There's lots to do," Zagrodzky added. "As I've said many times, I believe Darien is the best place to live, and I want everybody to believe it, too. Thank you."

Zagrodzky, 60, has lived in Darien since 2005. He ran unopposed in this year's election after McNally announced this past summer that she would not seek a second term in office, and garnered 2,526 votes, according to unofficial results.

Last month in his Patch candidate profile, Zagrodzky said the single most pressing issue facing constituents is Great Island, the 60-plus acre parcel of land the town purchased earlier this year.

"The town spent a significant sum to acquire this property, and it is important that we continue to leverage the extraordinary Darien volunteers assisting us to get it right," he said.

Zagrodzky has plans to retire from his job as a chief operating officer of a private equity firm on Dec. 31

McNally and Selectman Michael Burke were sworn in, too. Selectman Sarah Neumann and Marcy Minnick could not attend.

Nearly all of the races in Darien this year were noncompetitive and featured candidates running for re-election.

Other officials sworn in Wednesday included Tax Collector Kathleen Larkins; Board of Finance member Dan Bumgardner; Board of Education members Sara Parent and Greg Grambling; Planning & Zoning Commissioners George Reilly and Jamie Zionic; Constables John Goodwin Jr., and Alan Hyatt; and McNamara.

Joan Hendrickson (Town Treasurer); James Palen and Taylor Carter (Board of Finance); Dennis Maroney (Board of Education); Richard Dolcetti (Board of Assessment Appeals); Amy Barsanti and Michael Nedder (Planning & Zoning) were unable to attend.

Check out the results from every race in Darien here.

You can view Wednesday's swearing-in ceremony on Darien TV 79.