Newtown’s election was decided more than a month ago, but the political campaign does not seem to have noticed. It is continuing in fine form with just a slight change in emphasis. Instead of trying to influence voters to elect this candidate over that candidate, the race is now on to define exactly what the election meant.

The December 3 split vote by the Board of Selectmen to endorse and continue the municipal office project at Fairfield Hills provoked a chorus of criticism from those who expressed their opposition to the project in the general election campaign, especially those who had run on the Independent Party of Newtown ticket or with the IPN’s backing. The new Republican first selectman, Joseph Borst, with the help of IPN’s endorsement, beat the incumbent Democrat Herb Rosenthal by 84 votes on November 6. Mr Borst seemed to vindicate the independent party’s political investment in him by announcing that he would conduct a full review of the town office project at Fairfield Hills before committing to go forward with it. IPN and other project opponents took heart that the Fairfield Hills town offices would at least be delayed, and possibly scuttled altogether.

They had not expected Mr Borst’s Republican running-mate, Paul Mangiafico, to break ranks and vote with Mr Rosenthal, the Democratic board member. They felt betrayed and frustrated, believing Mr Mangiafico had ignored an important mandate of the election to reverse course on the plan for town offices at Fairfield Hills. But the Republican selectman made it clear, both in the election campaign and after his controversial vote December 3, that he would be making decisions as an individual and not as part of a voting bloc. In this instance, his individual conclusions differed from Mr Borst’s.

Invoking mandates is a tricky business. Like Mr Mangiafico, most people vote as individuals for their own set of reasons. Those who do not vote have their own reasons (excuses) as well. Invoking a mandate from those who voted in a close election is as dubious as invoking a mandate from the vast majority of voters who stayed home on November 6. In truth, the first selectman candidates in this year’s election each drew the support of roughly one of every five registered voters. Council candidates drew the support of about one in twenty registered voters. Talk of a mandate is a little bit of a stretch.

Nevertheless, the election did bring change to Newtown. It retired a ten-year-old administration and replaced it with a new one. It brought new volunteers to key positions on the Board of Selectmen, Legislative Council, and the Board of Education. And it has challenged all of them to use the democratic devices of an elected representative government for the best interests of all Newtowners. The most powerful of those devices are dialogue, consensus, and compromise. Those who would suggest their opponents in this process are ignoring the electorate need to remember that those opponents were all duly elected by that same electorate. Those who would resist change need to remember there is another election coming up in 23 months.