Politics & Government

Ridgefield Candidate Profile: Barbara Manners, Board of Selectmen

Manners tells Patch why she should be re-elected to the Board of Selectmen.

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Democrat Barbara Manners is running for re-election to the Board of Selectmen, where she has served for 22 years.
Democrat Barbara Manners is running for re-election to the Board of Selectmen, where she has served for 22 years. (Neale Eckstein)

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Ridgefield and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Ridgefield Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Democrat Barbara Manners, 73, is running for re-election to the Board of Selectmen, where she has served for 22 years. She has also been producing the Concert Happenings in Ridgefield's Parks (CHIRP) series of free summer concerts for 18 years, as a volunteer.

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Manners holds bachelor's and master's degrees from New York University, and earned her law degree at Fordham University. She has been a practicing attorney for 17 years.

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

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Preserving the small town character of Ridgefield. I will continue to promote events that bring our community together, whether for free concerts in the park all summer or for events like the Halloween Walk and Holiday Tree Lighting. I will also work to encourage small businesses to open in Ridgefield, and seniors to remain here and not leave town.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have a record of 25 years of "doing" for the community, from being the principal driver behind the creation of the Ridgefield Playhouse, to starting the fund to preserve our small town traditions, to creating a 25+ series of free concerts in the park in summer. I am also an attorney who uses her skills on the board and am the only attorney running for BOS.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Increasing parking, encouraging development of affordable housing in the Branchville area of town, as well as transition of Branchville area to real neighborhood. Encouraging the promotion of the economic health of the town through support for the arts and entrepreneurial businesses.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I'm not much of a speaker, but I am a doer and also a focused thinker. I am passionate about animals as well as people and currently have four rescue dogs. I am also the incredibly proud mother of a terrific 31 year old son.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

You are blessed. Give back in any way you can, wherever you can, whenever you can.

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