Vote Tuesday, Nov. 5

#Middlebury #Election

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

Middlebury voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 5, to vote on candidates for local offices and for the Region 15 Board of Education. Middlebury polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center at 1172 Whittemore Road.

Those who became qualified to vote due to age, citizenship or residency since Oct. 31, 2019 may register to vote Monday, Nov. 4, at the Registrars Office in Middlebury Town Hall between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Only one position is contested this year, Middlebury town treasurer. All other candidates are running unopposed, including First Selectman Edward B. St. John. For town treasurer, incumbent Republican Robin DeSantis Stanziale is being challenged by Democrat Linda D. Herrmann.

Democrats have put up five candidates with one, Francis L. Barton Jr., running for two offices – Police Commission and Pomperaug Valley Water Authority. No Democrats are running for the three open positions on the Region 15 Board of Education. In contrast, Republicans have put up candidates for 15 positions.

The lone first selectman candidate, Republican incumbent Edward B. St. John served as first selectman for 24 years before retiring in 2007. He then successfully ran for office in 2011 and has now served an additional eight years. However, the term limits added to the Town Charter in 2012 mean this is the last time he can run for re-election. When he steps down in 2021, he will have served as first selectman for 34 years.

St. John said, “What an honor it has been to serve this community all these years.”

When he first was elected, the town had no parks; now it has three. During his tenure, the Greenway was built, as were senior housing and the public works facility, and the town’s health district, communications system and health insurance all regionalized. The library also underwent a major renovation and expansion.

St. John said, “It’s been a true honor to deal with our residents. They are wonderful.”

Democratic Selectman Michael McCormack decided not to run for reelction. McCormack has a long history of service to the town, starting with the Middlebury Democratic Town Committee. He served as chairman of the Public Works Commission for four years and served on the Board of Finance for 10 years, five of those as chair, before becoming a selectman four years ago.

He said of his decision not to run for reelection that he recently turned 75. “Maybe it’s time another generation starts taking over and the old guard gets out of the way.”

Reflecting on his service to the town, he said he is particularly proud of the money he saved the town when he chaired the Board of Finance. Taxpayers used to pay the 17 percent contribution to the police pension when an officer worked special duty; now the business that hires the officer pays that money. He figures that saves the town about $120,000 a year.

He also helped the town avoid spending nearly $3 million on a new public safety radio system when Thomas Gormley was first selectman. The town ended up spending about a quarter of that amount to upgrade the radio system. He also pushed for regionalization of the police dispatch, which he said saved the town $300,000 a year plus a software upgrade cost of another $300,000 every three to five years. He credits St. John with doing a lot to push that through.

The unopposed candidates for selectman and the Board of Assessment Appeals appear to be running against each other since each position has two candidates and voters can choose only one. However, that is not the case. A state statute called “restrictive voting” limits voters to one choice, but both candidates for selectman, incumbent Republican Elaine Strobel and Democrat Ralph Barra will be elected as will both Board of Assessment Appeals candidates, incumbents Democrat Stephen R. Ferrucci III and Republican Robert J. Flanagan Jr.

Tax Collector Brenda M. Carter is running and was cross-endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee, so she is on the ballot twice.

The remaining unopposed candidates are, for Board of Finance, incumbents Republican William Stowell, the current chair, and Democrat Stephen Ruccio; for Police Commission, incumbents Democrat Francis L. Barton Jr. and Republican Francis Cipriano; for Water Pollution Control Authority, incumbent Republicans Paul Phillips, Robert W. Smith and Ted Mannello; for Library Trustee Republicans Rita H. Smith, an incumbent, and Mary C. Veillette; for Pomperaug Valley Water Authority, incumbent Democrat Francis L. Barton Jr.; for full-term Regional Board of Education positions, Republicans Peter C. Vaccarelli and incumbent John Cookson and for a two-year term, Republican Shannon Cavallo.