The Winds of Change Are Softly Wafting Through Town Government

Last time a bitter race for the Board of Education dominated the municipal elections. The upshot was that Leslie Moriarty became the first Democratic Chairman of the Board of Education in a long time.

The divisions that rent the BOE have disappeared. Now Leslie Moriarty and Nancy Kail on the Democratic side and former Chair, Stephen Anderson, on the Republican side have announced they are not running for re-election. There is a chance Peter Sherr will also decline to run so that all four newly elected members of the BOE will be new.

These are early days. Party conventions to nominate candidates will not occur until July. There is plenty of time for new candidates to emerge. For the Democrats Debbie Applebaum and Laura Erickson, both past PTA leaders, have expressed interest in the BOE race. I have not heard who has expressed interest for the Republicans. Whoever emerges as candidates I do not look for either town committee to nominate more BOE nominees than they can elect given the sour taste from the last contested BOE election.

In the BET race two recycled Democratic candidates have announced their candidacy: John Blankley and Frank Farricker. John Blankley ran for First Selectman last time but has his sights firmly set on the BET this election. Frank Farricker, current Chair of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee and former First Selectman and Senatorial candidate, also has announced for the BET. If nominated it is unknown whether Frank will step down as DTC Chair, but Jim Himes and Jim Campbell continued as Chairs of the DTC and RTC respectively when they served on the BET. It looks like Bob Brady has decided not to run for re-election after a distinguished career on the BET, RTM and various building committees. Hopefully, he will continue as a valued member of the MISA Building Committee. If Blankley and Farricker are nominated by the DTC that will leave one incumbent out in the cold (or in the political vernacular "able to spend more time with his or her family"). That will be a shame given the selfless time spent by BET members in devotion to our community. However, politics, even at the local level, is a contact sport.

The Selectmen races look to be a yawner as all three incumbents will seek re-election. Drew Marzullo's decision to run as Selectman rather than First Selectman presents a dilemma for Democrats who must recruit a candidate for First Selectman. A search committee has been formed and a front runner may soon emerge to head the Democratic ticket.

In the meantime, it looks like there will be significant turnover on the BOE and BET and more of the same from the Selectmen.