It’s a good time to be a Ridgefielder. Taxes are low and the Democratic-majority Board of Finance, led by Chairman Dave Ulmer and members Paul Sutherland and Jessica Mancini, delivered a flat mill rate this year. Schools deliver high value for their budget, benefitting both our students and our real estate, and are a testament to the engagement of parents, teachers, students as well as Board of Education members Fran Walton, Karen Sulzinsky and Mike Taylor. Our town is consistently rated #1 in the State, for its quality of life, arts and entertainment, open space and paths, excellent emergency and safety services, roads, library, housing stock, forward-thinking planning/land use and overall management, among other attributes. A result of years of hard work and leadership from First Selectman Rudy Marconi and the Democratic majority on the Board of Selectmen.
Democrats who were nominated at caucus seek to make it greater after the November election, with your support. First Selectman Rudy Marconi returns to head our ticket. His vision for the next four years doesn’t rest on his laurels, but instead looks to the future of the town. Steve Zemo, a respected, conscientious builder and property owner in town, Veterans Park parent and philanthropist joins our returning member/candidate Barbara Manners on the ticket for the Board of Selectman. Steve served on the Board of Selectman twice previously and seeks to serve the town in this capacity once again. Democrats nominated Ulmer, Sutherland and Mancini for the Board of Finance. Their majority has delivered strong fiscal leadership and great schools with no mill rate increase. We believe the Town Treasurer cannot be steeped in cronyism. Our nominee, Molly McGeehin is stunningly well qualified to support the Board of Finance and the Town government as a professional. Molly is a CPA and has owned and operated Ridgefield Accounting Systems since 1996, worked four-plus years at Coopers and Lybrand, a former big eight accounting firm that is now part of PricewaterhouseCoopers, and has been the financial services professional at the Ridgefield Library for the last 11 years.
Joining incumbents Fran Walton and Karen Sulzinsky on our Board of Education ticket is Doug Silver, a professional educator, publisher of educational research and Dad to two RHS students. Adding to our ticket for Planning and Zoning as well as ZBA is Charles Robbins, a planner by training and active member of Lions Club. For Police Commission, long-serving incumbent George Kain, PhD professor of criminal justice at WestConn, is joined by lawyer and GE professional Vincent Giordano. Board of Assessment Appeals member Jeff Lundberg was nominated as was Dwayne Escola for ZBA alternate.
We believe Ridgefield will be stronger, greater if we keep Democratic majorities on the Board of Selectman and Board of Finance—and add Democrats to the officer of Treasurer, BOE, P&Z and the Police Commission. We invite you to elect them and make our town greater.
Susan D. Cocco is Chair of the Ridgefield Democrats, which supplies this column.
UPDATED 8/24/2015