If only candidates for local elective office presented themselves fully formed — experienced and public spirited. But voters have to choose between people who bring what they have to the contest. There will be both strengths and weaknesses.

The weakness of inexperience is remediable, if the elected official consults with those who have institutional knowledge and governs with transparency and respect for the the voters who put them there. Humility helps.

The voters of Old Lyme have such a choice to make for first selectman: Incumbent Republican Timothy Griswold has a two-decade record in office and the old-school approach of a CEO who believes he knows what's good for the town. That concerns constituents who want more consistent progress and more transparency. Challenger Martha Shoemaker, a Democrat and an elected member of the Lyme-Old Lyme regional school board, has the experience of a career teacher and a union official, but no history of elective town office.

Tim Griswold served seven terms as first selectman before a losing race in 2011. He came out of retirement in 2019 when his successor, Bonnie Reemsnyder, was running unopposed but facing political fallout from her tenure on the Connecticut Port Authority. He collected signatures from more than 5% of the town's registered Republicans to get on the ballot and won. He is seeking a ninth term this year.

With that long a tenure, the incumbent has played a key role in the major issues faced by Old Lyme through the 2000s. Many of those remain unresolved even longer than the expected slow pace of public projects: decades-long sewer construction planning, in a deal that includes the state DEEP and three beach associations; non-resident access to the public beach in Soundview; proposals to redesign the Halls Road commercial district; and efforts to bring affordable housing to town. 

More recently, the first selectman has perturbed many residents by steadily refusing a colleague's request to bring before the selectman's board any discussion of a resolution that racism is a public health issue. More than 20 Connecticut towns and the General Assembly have adopted such a resolution, and this month more than 100 residents showed up at Town Hall to discuss it anyway.

In a debate with his opponent hosted by The Day, Tim Griswold did not acknowledge that any of these issues need more attention. Asked about the sewer project, he said, "It's going to take time," citing higher than estimated bids and the possibility that withdrawal by any one of the parties could stall it even longer. He dismissed residents' complaints of lack of information before a Town Meeting vote as being "in the eye of the beholder."

As a challenger without a record to defend, Martha Shoemaker runs her race as a critic of the conduct of town government over the past two years. She is proposing Clean Water Funds and available long-term loans to help fund the sewer project and said that Old Lyme has lagged in deciding how it will spend $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds. She pledges greater transparency and says it should not be complicated to put backup data on a screen at Town Meeting.

She is also running for re-election to the school board of Regional District 18; while not a legal conflict of interest, it could prove to be a challenge, especially at budget time.

Neither candidate has offered much leadership on one issue that should be at the forefront for Old Lyme: affordable housing. The town did not support a proposal in 2019, leaving the issue in the hands of a committee for nearly two years now. The next first selectman needs to show leadership because economic diversity makes sense for growth, not just because the state says so.

Town governments are not governments of one. They consist of numerous boards with citizen volunteers and small departments that deal with specifics — such as public works and police. The role of the first selectman is to be the manager of all the working parts. Given the wealth of experience in those other offices, it should not be too great a risk to elect a leader who is an admitted novice in this role but does have experience in public life.

Old Lyme needs to regain momentum. The Day's endorsement goes to Martha Shoemaker, with this counsel: Town residents have made it clear they want to be heard and they want to be kept in the know. 

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.