New London — Three-term city councilor and city police officer Anthony Nolan replaced Erica Richardson Monday as the city council president.

Nolan was elected in a unanimous mid-term vote by his fellow councilors, who were frustrated over Richardson’s handling of a very public inquiry into Sailfest, the city’s largest annual event. The council elected Don Venditto to the position of council president pro tem — replacing Michael Trachida.

The vote came following a closed-door caucus involving all of the council members expect Richardson, who was not yet at City Hall.

Little was said publicly, but prior to the meeting Richardson said she had become frustrated and was treated unfairly by her fellow councilors because of her calls for more transparency and accountability related to the city’s expenditures for Sailfest.

“I felt I was unfairly labeled when I demanded answers from the mayor,” Richardson said. “I did my best to represent the city and I think most don’t really understand this is not just a title — there are actual responsibilities that come along with it, one of them being the budget.”

Richardson said while the move appeared to be designed to “quiet me down,” she felt as though she would have more freedom to speak freely and spend less time worried about running the meetings.

“I will be here and still holding my fellow councilors’ feet to the fire,” she said.

Venditto, in an interview prior to the meeting, said the council had agreed to replace Richardson in hopes of building more of a team spirit.

“The consensus was there was a desire for a change in leadership, in my mind, to have someone more focused on a much bigger agenda and more representative of all of the people in the city of New London and not so narrowly focused on addressing one particular issue … Sailfest,” Venditto said.

Venditto said councilors were in agreement that the city needed to clearly outline Sailfest costs each year but were opposed to the tack Richardson had taken when dealing with the mayor and outside organizations involved in the event.

“These divisive political times we’re living in these days seem to have pushed respective debate and compromise out the window,” Venditto said. “However, I remain committed to being the voice of reason. Any personal agenda we have needs to be checked at the doorway.”

The mid-term change in leadership was a break in recent tradition though the leadership position is up for a vote on the first meeting of December. Michael Passero and Wade Hyslop, the two previous council presidents, each served two years as council president. Prior to the city’s change to an elected mayor form of government in 2011 the council had chosen ceremonial mayors each year.

“I believe councilor Nolan will make a fine council president due to his leadership, his actions with today’s youth, understanding those youth are our leaders of tomorrow,” councilor John Satti said. “His ability and training as a police officer gives him the honesty and the truthfulness and the wisdom we need to lead this council.”

Nolan thanked Richardson for her service and said she “truly set an example for me to continue.”

g.smith@theday.com