Election 2023

Election 2023: First Selectman Kevin Moynihan Announces Re-Election Bid [Q&A]

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New Canaan’s highest elected official will seek the backing of the Republican Party and re-election this fall. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan, elected as head of the town in 2017 following four years on the Town Council, announced Wednesday that he’s seeking a fourth term. He joins GOPers Dionna Carlson and Kimberly Norton, both of whom announced their intention to seek backing from New Canaan Republicans at the July 25 caucus. We put some questions to Moynihan. Here’s our exchange.

Board of Selectmen

Letter: Nick Williams Will Not Seek Re-Election to Board of Selectmen

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Dear Friends,
It is with mixed emotions that I write to announce that after sixteen consecutive years of public service—12 as selectman and four as a member of the Board of Education—I will not be running for re-election to the Board of Selectman this November. 

It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve the Town of New Canaan, the place my family and I have been fortunate enough to call home for the last 30 years. I am incredibly proud of what we have all accomplished together: a world-class public education system, an extraordinary new library, increased police, fire, and EMS funding, a renovated Town Hall building, an expansion of Saxe Middle School, updated playing fields, natural gas, improved cell service, and many other infrastructure achievements. Make no mistake, none of these successes would have been possible without the unwavering support of this community and my constituents, who always told me what was important and necessary, even when it wasn’t an easy conversation. 
Constant engagement is a necessity in public service, and I express my deep gratitude to the residents of New Canaan for the valuable feedback and trust they have given me over the last 16 years. 
The decision to not run for re-election was not an easy one, requiring much contemplation and consultation with my family and friends. 
And while I don’t preclude seeking additional public service in the future, for now I’m going to take a break from government and from politics, recharge my batteries, and enjoy the company of those same family and friends. 
Why the decision today? For one, I am a firm believer in the importance of bringing fresh perspectives and new ideas to the table. Second, I fear that the toxicity, partisanship, and polarization that we’ve seen at a national level has entered into the local level, starting at the top. 
It feels that politics now has become about picking every battle, instead of picking the necessary battle. 
I am hopeful that change will lead to more measured conversations and increased civility in town, and in Town Hall itself (for the benefit of our hugely talented yet beleaguered staff).

Election 2023

Election 2023: Kimberly Norton Announces Candidacy for First Selectman [Q&A]

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New Canaan’s Kimberly Norton, a Republican who was elected to the Town Council in 2021, has announced her candidacy for first selectman. We put some questions to Norton, the second GOPer to announce her candidacy for the highest elected office in New Canaan. (Dionna Carlson announced earlier this month. The Republican Caucus, where local GOP members vote to decide which candidates will receive party backing for the election, is scheduled for July 25.)
Our exchange with Norton follows. New Canaanite: What is your background professionally and in terms of living and volunteering here in New Canaan?

Government

Letters to the Editor

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NewCanaaanite.com recently received the following letter(s) to the editor. Please email letters to editor@newcanaanite.com for publication here. 

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After thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to seek re-election as a Selectman on the Board of Selectmen in the upcoming November municipal election. 

It has been a tremendous honor to serve our New Canaan community for two terms as a Selectman, as well as previously on the Town Council and Board of Finance. 

I remain fully dedicated to fulfilling my responsibilities for the remaining five-plus months of my term, continuing to advocate for good governance and transparency, and to collaborate to achieve better master planning, responsible budget management, and effective communication throughout our community. 

While I will not be seeking re-election, I will actively support and encourage those individuals who are passionate about serving our community throughout the election season. 

Looking ahead, I will continue to serve as a board director in the corporate and non-profit sectors, and I remain committed to making a positive impact in other areas of public service. I am most grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the New Canaan community and beyond. 

With kindest regards,

Kathleen Corbet

News

Board of Ed Unanimously Elects Katrina Parkhill as Chair, Phil Hogan as Vice Chair

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The Board of Education on Monday night elected Katrina Parkhill as chair. A Republican member of the Board since 2017 who served as chair through the COVID-19 pandemic—from late-2019 through last November—Parkhill was unanimously elected during a brief organizational meeting at the start of the BOE’s regular meeting. In nominating Parkhill, Board member Hugo Alves said, “I’d like to nominate Katrina to be chair of the board if she’d do it again.”

“Obviously it’s been an interesting time and an unfortunate one considering the circumstances, but Katrina has at least proven to me and the rest of us in town that she not only cares about the town, cares about the school system, she’s got the experience to lead and I think that whatever transition we experience over the course of the rest of the year, it would be helpful and important to have some continuity and that level of experience,” Alves said at the meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School. Board members Bob Naughton, Brendan Hayes, Parkhill, Erica Schwedel, Alves, Phil Hogan and Penny Rashin voted 7-0 in favor of Parkhill. Board member Julie Toal was absent.