Election Day in Ridgefield by the numbers

Election Day in Ridgefield

There was a 36.67% turnout for Ridgefield’s municipal election yesterday according to Democrat Registrar of Voters Cindy Bruno. All ballot questions passed. You can view Sample Ballot and explanatory text for Charter questions HERE. (See questions below).

Democrats seat all 19 of their candidates, including First Selectperson Rudy Marconi, elected to his ninth term, along with Treasurer Molly McGeehin. Democrats will retain majorities on all eight (8) town boards.

Candidates on Ballot and number of votes counted

First Selectman

Rudolph P. Marconi

Democratic

4,693

Robert Cousins

Write In

126

Selectman

Barbara Manners

Democratic

4,042

Sean Connelly

Democratic

4,018

Chris Murray

Republican

3,072

Maureen Kozlark

Petitioning Candidate

1,617

Town Clerk

Wendy Gannon Lionetti

Republican

4,076

Town Treasurer

Molly McGeehin

Democratic

4,485

Tax Collector

Jane Berendsen-Hill

Republican

3,932

Board of Finance

Joe Shapiro

Democratic

4,044

Dave Ulmer

Democratic

4,083

Greg Kabasakalian

Republican

3,190

Board of Education

Jonathan Paradiso

Democratic

3,891

Wyatt Lipman

Democratic

3,873

Christine More

Republican

3,148

Julia London

Republican

3,046

Sean McEvoy

Republican

2,800

Dawn-Marie Callahan

Petitioning Candidate

2,049

Divya Dorairajan

Write In

182

Board of Assessment Appeals

Stan Galanski

Democratic

4,298

Planning & Zoning Commission

Robert Hendrick

Democratic

3,920

Ben Nneji

Democratic

3,963

Susan Consentino

Democratic

4,017

Sebastiano D'Acunto

Republican

3,155

Zoning Board of Appeals Full Five Year Term Begins 2023

Mark Seavy

Democratic

4,119

Zoning Board of Appeals Full Five Year Term Begins 2024

Robert Byrnes

Democratic

4,075

Zoning Board of Appeals To Fill Vacancy for Two Years

Alexander Lycoyannis

Republican

3,498

Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate Five Year Term Begins 2024

Sky Cole

Democratic

4,007

Inland Wetlands Board

Susan Baker

Democratic

3,969

Benjamin Nissim

Democratic

3,837

Carson Fincham

Republican

3,168

Alan Pilch

Republican

3,110

Board of Police Commissioners

Issy Caporale

Democratic

3,803

Ralph Money

Democratic

3,595

Bob Hebert

Republican

2,945

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Set forth below are Ridgefield Town Charter revision questions and explanatory text for Questions 5, 6, and 9.

• Question #1: Shall the Town Charter be amended to make certain technical and administrative changes as recommended by the Charter Revision Commission?

• Question #2: Shall the Town Charter be amended to provide that the position of Town Treasurer be changed from an elected position to that of a hired Town employee?

• Question #3: Shall the Town Charter be amended to provide that the position of Town Clerk be changed from an elected position to that of a hired Town employee?

• Question #4: Shall the Town Charter be amended to provide that the position of Tax Collector be changed from an elected position to that of a hired Town employee?

• Question #5: Shall the Town Charter be amended to change the titles of the First Selectman, Board of Selectmen, and Selectman, to First Selectperson, Board of Selectpersons, and Selectperson?Explanation: Changes these titles to provide gender-neutral language for these roles.

• Question #6: Shall Section 3-2 of the Town Charter be amended to provide that individuals who are not residents of the Town, but who own property in Town solely in their capacity as a trustee, are not entitled to vote at Town Meetings or at referenda?
  Explanation: Provides new language clarifying that trustees are not entitled to vote at Town Meetings or at Referenda.

• Question #7: Shall the Town Charter be amended to make the following changes to the membership and terms of office of certain commissions:

• (a.) amend Sections 5-1 and 5-3 to change the name of the Commission on the Aging to the Commission on Aging, and to change the term of appointment from three-year to two-year terms;

• (b.) amend Section 5-8 to increase the size of the Economic and Community Development Commission from 7 members to 9 members, and to extend the term of office from 1 year to 2 years;

• (c.) amend Section 5-14 to add two alternate members, both serving four-year terms, to the Water Pollution Control Authority; and

• (d.) amend Section 5-15 to decrease the size of the Youth Commission from 16 members to 12 members and to add 2 alternate members to the commission?

• Question #8: Shall the Town Charter be amended to make the following changes to the Town’s appropriation process:

• (a.) amend Section 10-1(c) to eliminate the ability of the Town Meeting to decrease or delete any line item in the budget;

• (b.) amend Section 10-2(b) to require that any appropriation requested by residents at a petitioned town meeting in excess of $3,000,000 be submitted to referendum;

• (c.) amend Section 3-5(b) to provide that the required signatures for any petitions involving expenditures of $250,000 or more be increased from 5% to 7% of electors?
   

• Question #9: Shall the Standards of Conduct set forth in Article XI of the Town Charter and the authority of the Ethics Commission set forth in Section 5-9 of the Town Charter be modified as recommended by the Charter Revision Commission?
  Explanation: This provision modifies Article XI (Standards of Conduct) of the Charter to revise definitions, clarify the responsibilities of the Board of Ethics, and add/revise certain provisions regarding conflicts of interest, acceptance of gifts, and other potential ethics situations.

Prepared by the Town Clerk and Town Attorney pursuant to C.G.S. 9-369b.
The referendum vote on Charter Revision questions will be held on Election Day Tuesday, November 7, 2023 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.