Court Battles Continue In Fairfield Special Election: Report

FAIRFIELD, CT — While a special election for a seat on the Fairfield Board of Selectmen has been set for June 6, the court battles apparently aren’t over yet.

The Fairfield Citizen reports Attorney James Baldwin, who is representing Republican Selectmen Chris Tymniak and Ed Bateson, has filed an appeal of a Superior Court judge’s decision to hold the special election at the Appellate Court level. (To sign up for Fairfield breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

The Democrats in turn have filed a motion claiming that the appeal was not made within the 20 days required by state statute, according to the Citizen.

Baldwin said at this week’s Board of Selectmen meeting that in his opinion the special election is not going to be held, the Citizen reports.

The ongoing battle began when Republican Laurie McArdle, who was elected along with Tymniak last November, resigned her seat this past December, citing an increase in business travel, with three years remaining in her term.

Related:

• Judge Sets Date For Special Election In Fairfield
• DTC Chairman: Republicans Refuse To Carry Out the Will of the People
• RTC Vice Chairman: Town Charter Expresses 'Will of the People'; Democrat-Backed Petition Out of Bounds
• Republicans Thwart Special Election for Selectman Seat in Fairfield

Bateson, the Republican Town Committee’s endorsed replacement, was approved in a vote by Democratic First Selectman Mike Tetreau and Tymniak to fill the vacancy.

However, the Fairfield Democratic Town Committee submitted 3,200 petition signatures to the Town Clerk for certification on a petition to require a special town-wide election to decide a replacement for McArdle’s seat. A total of 2,031 signatures were required, according to state statute.

The Republican majority on the board recently thwarted that attempt by declaring the special election null and void with an amendment to a resolution setting the date for the election.

The matter eventually ended up in court.

Read more on the latest dispute at the Fairfield Citizen here.