Saying political partisanship has no place here, Selectman Kit Devereaux on Tuesday criticized the manner in which fellow Democrats are being removed from leadership positions on local boards and commissions.
Calling changes now underway in the chairmanships of municipal bodies “a matter that has been a concern not only me but to many of our constituents,” Devereaux during the Board of Selectmen’s regular meeting said she has no issue with “the first selectman’s right to shape our boards and commissions with his appointments.”
“I do find it of great concern when the chairs in question feel embarrassed or demeaned in the process,” Devereaux said at the meeting, held in Town Hall.
“These volunteers have given decades of invaluable service to New Canaan. They should be honored. They should be treated with dignity and respect, not embarrassed. Further, I think that any such action should be motivated by what is in the best interests of New Canaan, and not because a chair happens to be a member of an inconvenient political party. At the town level, national politics should have no place.”
The comments came during a segment of the meeting dedicated to general matters before the town.
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan did not respond to Devereaux.
Her comments followed an awkward organizational meeting last week where the chairmanship on the Police Commission turned over from a Democrat to a Republican. The former chair, Sperry DeCew, appeared upset about the change. Asked about it afterwards, Moynihan said that Police Commissioner Paul Foley had a right to the chairmanship if he wanted it, and that New Canaan is a Republican town. Asked about other potential changes in the political affiliation of those chairing local boards and commissions, Moynihan indicated that the leadership on the Health and Human Services Commission could change. That appointed body currently is chaired by a Democrat.
It isn’t clear whether Moynihan and other Republicans have discussed making such changes in caucus. The first selectman declined to comment when asked about it.
New Canaan’s boards and commissions are chaired by both Republicans and Democrats.
Republicans outnumber Democrats in New Canaan by nearly 2-to-1. The gap has closed in recent years. Here’s a snapshot of the electorate:
New Canaan Voter Count—Nov. 1, 2019
| Total | Rep | Dem | Unaf | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Townwide | 13,280 | 5,790 | 3,077 | 4,311 | 172 |
In 2016, New Canaan had 6,598 Republicans, 4,189 unaffiliated voters and 2,957 Democrats, according to the Registrar of Voters.
Anyone who claims that this is a one-party town doesn’t have the town’s best interests at heart. Period.
Well said Laura. We should be learning from what is going on at a National level and do everything we can to make certain that our town represents the interests of the entire community.
Thank you, Kit. As someone who served for 9 years on a Town commission where we honestly felt no partisanship, I am appalled by this effort to enforce it in appointed town boards and commissions. Chairs of these bodies should be elected by the members, based on their evaluations of who is most qualified to run a civil, efficient process. The majority party generally has the majority of slots on these boards and commissions anyway, and if those members want to elect their leadership according to party, so be it. The First Selectman has very broad, almost absolute power in New Canaan, but if he/she truly has the best interests of the Town in mind, he should not be selecting board and committee leadership, and certainly not demeaning leaders who are not of his party.
Thank you Kit for speaking out against what is a disturbing turn of events. This is by no means a one party town and at the end of the day those who have the town’s best interest at heart will surround themselves with the people who are best qualified and have a passion for our town regardless of party.
There are more people in our town who declare that they are Republicans, but it is misleading to say that New Canaan is a Republican town. That sort of rhetoric is dismissive of those who do not identify as Republicans and indicates a “one party” rule. As divided as our country is at this time, we do not need our town leaders to exacerbate that sort of thought. New Canaan should welcome diverging opinions and political parties.
In a town where no Democrat has ever won a contested election between a Republican and a Democrat, that is the definition of a “one party town.” Without Connecticut’s CGS § 9-167a Minority Representation Law requiring minority political party representation for local elected boards, including boards of education and finance, it would be all one party representation period. Our appointed boards and their leadership should come from both sides of the aisle. That is what a fair and balanced leader should ensure.
Thank you, Kit, for speaking up. Town boards and commissions should be left to choose their chair without party political pressure from the First Selectman or any other elected official. Board and commissions work well when they are collegial and focus on the issues under their remit without party political considerations.