Election 2025: Letters of Endorsement 

NewCanaanite.com will publish endorsement letters for this local election through Oct. 27. Send letters to editor@newcanaanite.com. 

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Dear Editor, New Canaanite:

As Chairman of the Election Committee for the New Canaan Republican Town Committee, and as a former Chairman of the New Canaan Board of Education, I feel it incumbent upon me to correct an odious (and frankly potentially libelous) misstatement of facts made by our opponents about the attendance record of one of our candidates for election in November.

Specifically, I refer to a mailer sent today [Oct. 23] to Democrats and unaffiliated voters in New Canaan, which states “sponsored by New Canaan Democrats” and alleges that Julie Toal, a current member of our Board of Education who is seeking re-election, was “absent or late to 40%” of that Board’s meetings.  

A complete and utter lie. But it gets worse.

The front of the mailer (which came into my possession just hours ago), states that  “WE CAN’T AFFORD AN ABSENTEE SCHOOL BOARD.” “If you skipped work 40% of the time, you’d be replaced, too.”  “VOTE OUT JULIE TOAL”

Putting aside the fact that this type of vicious partisanship has never had a place in New Canaan politics, that Julie is not paid to be on the Board of Education, and that Julie has undergone some significant health issues in the past few years – here are the facts:

Since Julie joined the Board of Education in November, 2021, there have been 88 meetings, including the most recent meeting held on October 21, 2025. During that four-year period she missed seven meetings – meaning she was in attendance 92% of the time.  

Similarly, Julie was “late” for eleven meetings during that same four-year period; she was thus “not late” for 88% of the time. I put “late” in quotations because that metric is a bit of a dog’s breakfast; it appears that the way this Board operates, “late” could be five minutes, fifty minutes, or five hours (cases in point:  Julie was “late” for two meetings by two minutes, and one meeting by one minute).

For the record, the foregoing statistics come directly from our Board of Education (the Secretary of which is a Democratic incumbent who is also on the ballot this fall).  

So where did the Democrats get their “40%” from? Perhaps using the wonderful New Math curriculum, where the requirement is to show a problem’s “why” rather than getting the answer right?

Whatever. I guess there is a bit of humor after all in the New Canaan Democrats’ bizarre lies, given that the current Board of Ed  “winner” for actually not attending meetings or otherwise being late is, by a wide margin . . . a Democrat. 

Sincerely,

Nick Williams

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Who thought this was a good idea? Why is it that with no publicized input from either the voters or merchants suddenly our center of town parking is now very unfriendly to senior citizens and particularly those who are handicapped? Elm Street has now become most favorable to those who eat and drink—just don’t try to park or shop.

Most important however are activities involving our current local elections, particularly the Town Council.

And yes, I am horrified at the behavior of “The Gang of Four”! Otherwise good/decent people who have seen it their right, duty, obligation to try to freeze out a serving elected member of the Town Council from re-election by creating a slate, a block. The optics of their conduct are really bad. Is it not more rewarding to win or lose on your own individual merits than surrounded by a pack?

Well, it is an election! Every individual, emphasis on individual, vote will tell its own story, make its own judgment.

We are all acutely aware of what is wrong with CT but are we aware of the lack of integrity and gross bias in our own town? It exists!

My vote is for Kim Norton—qualified, hard working, experienced and, best of all, thinks for herself, for her constituents.

For those to whom my name is not familiar and think I haven’t seen it all I was the Secretary of the NCRTC beginning in the late ‘70’s, left for three years in London, returned to pick up where I left off until I knew I could not contribute the energy needed and resigned decades later. I have seen it all.

E. Irene Barrack

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I rarely endorse candidates, but this year’s Town Council election is unusual and deserves careful attention.

Our town council has twelve members who serve four-year terms, with six seats up for election every two years. Of the six members not on the ballot this year, three are midway through their first term, and three have served longer. Of the six seats being contested, three are open seats due to retirements.

Leaving aside party affiliations—which, in my view, have no place in town governance — there are nine candidates running for these six seats. Six are first-time candidates. That means our next council could, in theory, include six brand-new members, joining three with just two years of experience – to make up three-quarters of the council at a time when there will be important issues for the agenda.

In any governing body—public or private—success depends on a healthy balance between experience and fresh perspectives. A council made up largely of newcomers risks losing valuable institutional knowledge, while one that never changes can become stagnant.

That’s why I strongly support Kim Norton and Hilary Ormond, both completing their first terms and seeking re-election. They come from very different professional backgrounds, which enriches the council’s perspective. I don’t agree with either of them on every issue, nor do they always agree with each other—but that’s precisely what makes for thoughtful, balanced decision-making.

Both have worked hard, contributed effectively in their first term, and demonstrated dedication to our community. They’ve earned the chance to continue their service for a second term. Let’s keep their experience on the council as we welcome new members to join them.

Rob Fryer