This is a special year for Wallingford, but most of the students at Choate Rosemary Hall do not realize the importance of odd numbered years for the city of Wallingford. Every odd numbered year, town elections are held, deciding the new, or the maybe same, mayor, Town Council, and the Board of Education.

Wallingford’s elections are being held Tuesday, November 6th for the Town Council, Town Mayor, and the Town’s Board of Education. There are many people running for these positions so far. The Town Mayor, William W. Dickinson, Jr. (Republican) is running again for his former position. James M. Vumbaco (Democrat) and Lucille Trzcinski (Independent) are also running for Mayor.

There are six Republicans, seven Democrats, and four Independents running for Town Council. Out of these, Robert F. Parisi, Rosemary Rascati, Mike Brodinsky, Jerry Farrell, Jr., Vincent F. Testa, and Vincenzo M. Dinatale were in the Town Council before, and Nick Economotoulous was part of the Board of Education for the last term. The new Republican runners are Dawn Sarro, Vincent Cervoni, and John LeTourneau. The new Democratic candidates are John C. Bradley, Jesse S. Reynolds, and Michael T. Stiteri. The new Independent runners are Jason M. Zandri, John J. Long Jr., Dawn M. Thomas, and Thomas E. Dacey. Nine of these runners will be chosen to be the Town Council for the next two years.

Running for the Board of Education, there are four Republicans, and six Democrats. Roxane M. McKay, Thomas P. Hennessey, and Michael John Votto were in the Board of Education and are running again this year for. The new Republican candidates are Andrew Martin Bravo and Thomas E. Lassin. The new Democratic candidates are Patrick J. Reynolds, Kathy Castelli, Carol A. Hayden, Valerie N. Ford, and John J. Cei Jr. Eight of these candidates will be chosen to be a the Board of Education for the next two years.

Elections are held every two years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. The mayor is elected separately from the Council. The Council elects a Chairman who is the presiding officer. The recent Chairman was Robert F. Parisi, who is running for the Council again this year. The term of all of the elected officers starts on the first Monday after the succeeding January 1st. In the case of a tie vote on a vacancy on the Council, the Mayor has the deciding vote.

The members of the former Town Council who are running again, want to continue the school renovation project ($62 million), the expansion of the Town Library, additional elderly housing, large extensions to the Linear Trail, and purchasing more open space to maintain the “small town” atmosphere.

The members of the former Board of Education, who are running again want to continue the support of school renovations like the Town Council, quality education while maintaining fiscal responsibility, support of the technology education program, promotion of a safe learning environment, performance of the business of the Wallingford school system in a fair and open manner, and to ensure that the curriculum is meaningful and realistic.

The campaigning has not begun yet, so not much about the candidates are known so far. Soon enough, though, the whole of Wallingford will be ardently searching for the best mayor, best town council, and best board of education who it believes, will take care of it for the next two years until the next election.