Ken Nelson Appointed Mayor, Marie Pyznar Deputy Mayor In Enfield

ENFIELD, CT — A new Republican majority was sworn into office as members of the Enfield Town Council Monday night, meaning a change in leadership was imminent. The council unanimously elected Ken Nelson Jr. as mayor, and Marie Pyznar deputy mayor.

Nelson, 55, originally served as an at-large councilor from 2005 to 2013, holding the position of deputy mayor for the last six years of that stint. He came back to the council in Sept. 2022, filling the District 1 seat vacated by the passing of longtime councilor Joe Bosco.

The election of two new Republicans to the council gave the GOP a 7-4 majority, wresting back control after two years of Democratic leadership. Nelson began his initial statement as mayor by thanking the voters of Enfield.

"We heard your message loud and clear, and we will take action to address the issues that we face," he said. He then thanked a number of people, among them the members of Bosco's family, about whom he said, "I will continue to honor Joey every minute of this term."

Pyznar, 67, who was elected to her second term as an at-large councilor, said, "I am truly humbled to be chosen as deputy mayor. In these last two years, I have learned so much. My promise is to continue to put Enfield always first, to be accessible and open-minded for every resident."

Following the leadership appointments, the council got down to business by formally voting to bring Christopher Bromson back as town manager. He replaces Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, who submitted her resignation effective at the close of the day last Thursday.

Bromson, 63, had been working as town manager from 2018 until Nov. 15, 2021, when he abruptly resigned in the middle of a council meeting. The vote to bring him back into the fold was not unanimous - councilor John Santanella voted "present" instead of yes or no - and some councilors took time to express their trepidation.

All four Democrats used their public speaking time to praise Zoppo-Sassu, a former Democratic mayor in Bristol. Santanella read excerpts from the glowing review she received this summer, and councilor Gina Cekala minced no words when addressing the subject, blasting her colleagues across the aisle.

"I'm not surprised about the events that happened this Thursday; most people aren't," she said. "She was told to resign. What was done to her was disgusting. The Republicans hated Ellen; they treated her like garbage for two years. They didn't care how good of a job she did; they just cared about the letter after her name. I'm sorry for what happened to you."

Cekala then focused on Bromson, saying she considers him to be a friend.

"That being said, when I got the news that you were coming back, I was less than happy to say the least," she said. "You were good at your job, but you walked out on us, and that wound took a long time to heal. That being said, I am going to focus on what's best for this town ... this town won't suffer from months of nothing happening because we don't have a town manager. I welcome you back, and I'm confident you're going to do a good job."

Bromson said, "Town government is a relay race; you pass the baton to the next and you move forward. I am honored to work again for the people of Enfield."

An agenda item appointing an interim town attorney upon expiration of the term of James Tallberg was not acted upon, as Nelson said Tallberg has agreed to stay on. He also said longtime attorney and former Enfield Democratic Town Committee chair Tom Tyler "has agreed to step in if there's a lapse."