No one wants his job so Congdon to delay retirement
Preston — With no candidates for first selectman on the horizon just two weeks before political party endorsement caucuses, 11-term Republican First Selectman Robert Congdon announced Friday he will put off his planned retirement and run for another term this fall.
“I've basically committed that if there are no viable candidates, that I would continue doing the job at the very least through the conveyance of the (former Norwich Hospital) property to the Mohegans, which is probably a little over a year away,” he said.
Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment has an agreement with the town for a $200 million to $600 million entertainment, recreational and sports facility and resort development at the former Norwich Hospital property.
The town is scheduled to turn over ownership of the 388-acre tract to the tribe once the town completes the final phase of environmental cleanup there, which could take one to two years, said Sean Nugent, chairman of the Preston Redevelopment agency.
“I've got 22 years involved, and we've got tremendous momentum going, and we can't screw up the next year,” Congdon said.
Congdon, who will turn 69 in September, announced on election night in 2015 that his current term as the town's top elected official would be his last. He planned to retire after 22 years in office. He ran unopposed in 2015, but has faced both tight challenges that needed recounts and overwhelming victories over the years.
As the party endorsement caucuses approach later this month, no candidates have declared their intentions to run for the first selectman seat. Republican Town Committee Chairman Jerry Morales said Friday a couple of possible candidates have expressed interest, but they were waiting for Congdon to decide whether he wanted to continue. The RTC will endorse candidates at a 7:30 p.m. July 20 caucus at Town Hall.
Nugent, who also serves as Preston Democratic Town Committee chairman, said there were no Democratic candidates in the wings for the first selectman seat. The DTC endorsement caucus will be at 7 p.m. July 24 at Town Hall.
“We met Wednesday night,” Nugent said of the DTC, “and the comments were 'if Bob's not running, we would have to scramble.'”
Republican Selectman Michael Sinko, Congdon's Republican running mate since 2007, said Thursday he plans to seek his sixth term as selectman, and Democratic Selectman Lynwood Crary said he plans to run for re-election to what would be his third term. All three ran unopposed in 2015 and could do so again this fall.
Congdon said he is not surprised at the lack of candidates for top elected positions in Preston and in other southeastern Connecticut towns.
“The environment from the national level to the state level is so toxic right now,” Congdon said. “The saying goes 'all politics is local,' and that's where people voice their opinion, so that's where they vent.”
He said the state budget crisis likely will cause funding cuts to cities and towns, and local leaders will be blamed for rising taxes or reduced services as a result.
The salary for Preston's full-time first selectman position is $76,221 in the current budget, while the two selectmen receive $6,928 each, not enough to draw young, qualified professionals for the long hours and numerous night meetings, along with the headaches, that come with the positions, Congdon said.
Congdon thinks Preston should consider switching to a town manager form of government in the future. Sinko and Crary studied the concept last summer, but recommended no change at this point, saying no towns of Preston's size have made such a move.
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