Politics & Government
Fairfield Democrats Look to Force Special Election for Selectman Seat
The Democratic Town Committee has secured the signatures required to petition for a special town-wide election to fill a vacant seat.
FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield Democratic Town Committee’s attempt to force a special election for a vacant seat on the Board of Selectmen appears to have been successful.
The committee submitted 3,199 petition signatures to the Town Clerk on Thursday for certification on a petition to require a special town-wide election to decide a replacement for Republican Laurie McArdle’s seat. A total of 2,031 signatures were required, according to state statute.
McArdle resigned her seat earlier this month, citing an increase in business travel. Representative Town Meeting member Ed Bateson, the Republican Town Committee’s endorsed replacement, was approved in a vote by Democratic First Selectman Mike Tetreau and Republican Selectman Chris Tymniak to fill the vacancy.
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McArdle, who was elected along with Tymniak last November, had three years remaining on her term.
“We are thrilled with the town-wide response to this petition drive,” Fairfield Democratic Town Committee Chairman Steven Sheinberg said in a statement. “We had only six days to secure the 2,031 signatures (the equivalent of 5% of registered voters required by State Statue). It is a testament to the passion of the people that we exceeded the required number of signatures by 1,168. This community support, despite the holiday and the inclement weather, demonstrates people’s belief that the voters should decide who will represent them on the Board of Selectman.”
Find out what's happening in Fairfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The signatures will be certified by the Town Clerk’s office and, once approved, an election date will be set no later than 150 days from then, according to Sheinberg.
The move is not sitting well with Fairfield Republicans, according to the Fairfield Citizen.
Fairfield Republican Town Committee Chairman James Millington told the Citizen that the move violates a long-standing agreement regarding vacancies in elected offices. He also said Republicans could have done the same thing several times, including “forcing a special election for first selectman, but choose not to.”
Read more of the Republican response at the Fairfield Citizen here.
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