Ridgefield Republicans head into tonight’s caucus expecting contests for three town boards — Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Education, and Police Commission.
“I’m very, very pleased that we have some good people actually stepping up. That hasn’t always been the case,” said Republican Town Committee Chairman Bob Hebert.
“We have more people than slots to fill, and by and large a well-qualified field of people,” he added.
The caucus is scheduled for tonight, July 18, at 7:30 in town hall’s large lower level conference room.
Any registered Ridgefield Republican may attend, speak, make nominations, and vote at tonight’s caucus gathering.
“Board of Education, we have four people for two slots,” Mr. Hebert said. “We have one incumbent seeking re-election — that’s John Palermo.
“We have three people who asked to be put on the ballot.”
Also seeking the school board seat are Scott Mason, who has served previously on the school board, Charol Signorelli, and Laurie Ann Livingstone.
Incumbent school board member Russell Katz has decided not to seek re-election.
While the party could in theory nominate more than two candidates, due to minority representation rules no more than two Republicans can be seated on the nine-member board, which has four Republican incumbents who aren’t up for re-election.
That’s not an approach the chairman favors.
“I just feel if we run more than we can seat, then we’re competing against one another,” Mr. Hebert said.
With three incumbents seeking to run again for Planning and Zoning Commission, the town committee has had two additional candidates interview for nominations.
One of those candidates remains in the race.
The Republican incumbents on the Planning and Zoning Commission are Chairwoman Rebecca Mucchetti, Michael Autouri, and George Hanlon.
Also seeking the nomination is Steven Cole, who lives in The Regency at Ridgefield, a development that recently has sent crowds of residents to commission hearings and meetings where issues concerning the Route 7 and 35 area were under discussion.
Also interviewing for a seat was Carson Fincham, who Mr. Hebert said had opted to seek nomination to a Board of Appeals on Zoning position.
“He made the decision last night to run for Board of Appeals, as an alternate,” Mr. Hebert said Tuesday, following Monday night’s town committee meeting.
Mr Herbert added, “After putting his name in he realized the time commitment and decided being an alternate on the Board of Appeals was a good way to get his foot in.”
There’s also a contest expected for Police Commission.
“Again, we’re very fortunate here in that we have three solid incumbents and we have two new people entering the race,” Mr. Hebert said.
Republican incumbents seeking nominations for the Police Commission are Tom Reynolds, Carl Lecher and Marcie Coffin, who, earlier this year, was appointed to fill a vacancy left by the mid-term resignation of Susan Craig.
Also on the ballot seeking nomination to the Police Commission are Joe Savino, a former selectman, and John McNicholas, who has previously run for the Police Commission.
Although nominations from the floor are always possible, there are some candidates expected to be uncontested at the caucus meeting.
These include Board of Finance incumbents Marty Heiser and Jill Bornstein, longtime Board of Appeals on Zoning incumbent Charles Creamer, and Mr. Fincham, who is seeking an alternate seat on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Bob Jewell, the local attorney, is seeking nomination for another term on the Board of Assessment Appeals.
No seats on the Board of Selectmen are up for election this year.