Democrats retake control of Montville Town Council
Montville — Democrats retook control of the Town Council in Montville after two years in the minority.
Before the 2017 election, Democrats had a Town Council majority for decades.
Democrat Billy Caron was the leading vote-getter, with 2,241 votes. Democrat Joe Jaskiewicz had 1,980 votes and Democrat Lenny Bunnell won 1,960 votes. Republican Kathy Pollard earned the fourth-most council votes with 1,943. Colleen Rix, also a Republican, had 1,902 votes. Republican Joseph Rogulski won 1,893 votes, and Democrat Tim May closed out the seven-member council with 1,776 votes.
The 4-3 Democratic majority is a swing from the current 5-2 Republican majority.
Democrat Kate Southard, Republican Wills Pike, Republican Tony Siragusa, Democrat Denise Gladue, Democrat Timothy Shanahan, and Republicans Steven Loiler and Jeff Rogers did not gain enough votes for a spot on the Council.
Pike, Rogulski, Rogers, Pollard, Jaskiewicz and Caron were all incumbents.
For the Board of Education, Republicans Sheelagh Lapinski and Robert Mitchell won 2,076 and 2,170 votes, respectively. By virtue of the Town Charter, Lapinski and Mitchell would win no matter what, whereas the four Democrats running had to fight it out for two seats. Democrat Carol Burgess, with 2,053 votes, and Democrat Jim Wood, with 1,979 votes, beat out Democrats Chuck Longton and John Desjardins.
Republican Flo Turner, with 2,116 votes, beat Democrat Joan Paskewich, 1,588 votes, for a full term on the Board of Assessment Appeals. Democrat Patricia Boyles, with 1,832 votes, defeated Republican Joseph Aquitante III, 1,748 votes, for a spot to fill a two-year vacancy on the Board of Assessment Appeals.
Three Democrats — Richard Gladue, with 2,041 votes; Joseph Berardy, 2,223 votes; and Douglas Adams, 2,229 votes — defeated Republican Caleb Espinosa, 1,952 votes, for positions on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
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