While this year’s local elections represent an opportunity for newcomers to venture into Newtown’s political arena, the fall ballot will also feature a number of familiar names to Newtown voters. A few familiar names will be missing as well. The Democratic Town Committee and Republican Town Committee completed their caucuses simultaneously one floor apart at  Edmond Town Hall on July 28, with both parties tendering slates of candidates.

Conspicuous are the absences of some long-time members of the Board of Finance, though other incumbents will be back on the ballot this year for both the finance board and the Board of Selectmen.

Following the political gatherings Tuesday evening, it became evident that neither Republican Board of Finance Chairman John Kortze, Vice Chairman Joe Kearney, nor longtime member Harrison Waterbury would be seeking reelection to the board, which they have all served on for more than a decade.

On the Democrats’ slate, Selectman James Gaston, Sr, decided to switch from seeking another term in that office, to seeking a return to the Board of Finance, which he previously served as vice-chairman under Mr Kortze. Former First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, who moved to a Board of Selectman position following the election of Joe Borst, has decided to seek the open position being vacated by Mr Gaston.

While she made no formal statement at the GOP caucus, First Selectman Pat Llodra — who appears to be running unopposed again this year — said she told the town committee during a previous meeting that she hoped to again be their candidate for first selectman. During that gathering, the first selectman said she was proud to lead the town and recognized the honor voters bestowed upon her, entrusting her with the community’s “CEO role.”

“[I restated my] commitment that my work every day will be to earn the trust and honor granted me as the town's leader,” Mrs Llodra said.

Mr Rosenthal, who remained politically active as an elected alternate on the Board of Assessment Appeals, and more recently as the Candidates Committee chair on the DTC, told The Newtown Bee after the caucus that Newtown hasn’t seen a spirited campaign locally in a few years. And with no apparent opposition, Mr Rosenthal said he is looking forward to rejoining the Board of Selectmen in December.

“[Republican Selectman] Will Rodgers and I have been friends for years, and despite a few disagreements, I’ve always had a good relationship with Pat [Llodra],” Mr Rosenthal said, pledging that once he regains a selectman’s seat, “I plan to voice my opinion as a minority member of the board, but it’s not in my nature to be an obstructionist.”

Mr Rosenthal said the local Democrats opted to field the best slate of candidates, which he said includes at least one Republican and an unaffiliated voter.

“A number of those who offered to be considered for office voiced their concern that there are too few people making too many decisions,” Mr Rosenthal said. “They all voiced a desire to see more bipartisanship.”

On the GOP front, party Chairman Jeff Capeci recognized the “great loss of historical perspective and experience” with the departure of Messrs Kortze, Waterbury and Kearney’s from the finance board. Mr Kortze and Mr Waterbury have served since the finance board was reinstated by charter change 14 years ago.

“That’s a lot of turnover on a board that has been among the most stable for years,” Mr Capeci said.

But he was upbeat in welcoming other experienced officials as well as newcomers to the ballot, highlighting Andrew Clure, who has been serving on the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers and is seeking an open slot on the Board of Education, and Westport Police Officer Rob Myer, who is seeking to fill a current vacancy on the Police Commission.

On the Democratic side of the ballot, Mr Rosenthal said finance board contender Aaron Carlson is well suited for the post, being a CFO for a division of Nestle, where he oversees an $800 million corporate budget. The democratic leader said this fall, he envisions an opportunity to return to a time when Republicans and Democrats split leadership roles between chair and vice chair positions on the boards of selectmen, finance, and education, and on the Legislative Council.

GOP Slate

The GOP slate for the November elections is:

First Selectman: E. Patricia Llodra.

Selectman: William F.L. Rogers.

Legislative Council District 1: George Ferguson, Joe Girgasky, George Guidera.

Legislative Council District 2: Mary Ann Jacob, Ryan Knapp, Dan Wiedeman.

Legislative Council District 3: Neil Chaudhary, Anthony Filiato, Phil Carroll.

Board of Finance: John Godin, David Ruhs, Mark Boland, Sandy Roussas.

Board of Education: David Freedman, Andrew Clure.  

Police Commission: Brian Budd, Virgil Procaccini                                    

Police Commission (to fill a vacancy): Robert Myer.                                  

Planning & Zoning: Robert Mulholland, Michael Porco, James Swift.

Planning & Zoning Alternate: Don Sharpe, Fred Taylor.

Board of Assessment Appeals: James McFarland.

Zoning Board of Appeals: Charles Arnett, Tim Cronin.

Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate: Roy Meadows, Jane Sharpe.

Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers: Marie Smith.

Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers (to fill a vacancy): Jennifer Chaudhary.

Democratic Slate

The Democratic slate for the November elections is:

Selectman: Herb Rosenthal.

Legislative Council District 1: Judit DeStefano, Christopher Eide, Paul Lundquist.

Legislative Council District 2: Eva Bermudez, Dan Honan, Jennifer Padilla.

Legislative Council District 3: Dan Amaral, Karen Pierce, Chris Smith.

Board of Finance: Aaron Carlson, Jim Filan, Jim Gaston, Eric Paradis.

Board of Education: Rebekah Harriman Stites, John Vouros.

Police Commission: Joel Faxon, Dan Rosenthal.

Planning & Zoning Commission: Corinne Cox, Jon Del Pozo.

Planning & Zoning Alternates: Barbara Manville.

Board of Assessment Appeals: Maureen Crick Owen.

Zoning Board of Appeals: Ross Carley.

Zoning Board of Appeals Alternates: Joe Bojnowski.

Edmond Town Hall Board Of Managers: Anna Wiedemann.