Westport voters made history tonight.
With all 9 RTM districts reporting — but absentee ballots still not counted — it appeared that Democratic candidates won their races, by wide margins.
It is unlikely that absentee ballots will change any race.
But the biggest headline belongs to Jill Dillon, a write-in candidate for the Board of Education. Though her 4,939 votes trailed the Democratic incumbents, chair Lee Goldstein (5,707) and Neil Phillips (5,684), she swamped Republicans Jamie Fitzgerald (1,961) and Camilo Riano (1,830).
Dillon — an unaffiliated voter — ran to the left of the hard-right Republicans. By Town Charter, one political party can have no more than 4 seats on the 7-seat Board of Ed.
Goldstein and Phillips return to the BOE, joining Democrats Kevin Christie and Christina Torres, who were not up for re-election.
Dillon joins them, along with Republicans Robert Harrington, Liz Heyer and Dorie Hordon, all of whom are also in the middle of their 4-year terms.
Harrington took the unusual step of speaking out against Fitzgerald and Riano.
Meanwhile, Board of Ed vice chair Heyer was one of 4 members — out of 5 candidates — elected to the Board of Finance.
Danielle Dobin — current Planning & Zoning Commission chair — led all Finance candidates, with 5,456 votes. Fellow Democrat Jeffrey Hammer, an incumbent, was second, with 5,363.
Republicans Heyer (2,991) and Rich Hightower (2,854) also won Board of Finance seats. Republican Perry Winter — a current member — was not re-elected.
The Finance Board remains in Democratic hands.
So does the Planning & Zoning Commission. Paul Lebowitz — the only Democrat on the ballot — led all candidates with 5,283 votes.
Also elected were Republican newcomer (though a longtime Westporter) Michael Calise (2,916), and current members Amie Tesler (2,760) and Patrizia Zucaro (2,693).
Alternate John Bolton (2,490) and Coalition for Westport candidate Joseph Strickland (1,422) were not elected.
A vacancy will occur when Dobin leaves the P&Z, to take her Board of Finance seat.
There were 2 contests in which every candidate won.
Republican incumbent Joseph Sledge (3,173) was re-elected to the Board of Assessment Appeals.
All 3 incumbents were re-elected to the Zoning Board of Appeals: Democrat James Ezzes (5,346), and Republicans Liz Wong (3,262) and Michelle Hopson (3,119).
Representative Town Meeting results will be announced later.
Proud of Westport’s repudiation of ignorance and intolerance today. We still have work to do, but hope glimmers in today’s turnout and results.
Wow, history indeed (or we can say “herstory” in honor of Jill Dillon. Her win, as a WRITE IN who bravely threw her hat in the race about a month ago to double the number of ballots cast for the two republican candidates is a real rebuke. Congrats to all who participated, those those who one and those who cared enough about our town to run, even if they did not get the win.
Camilo Riano and Jamie Fitgerald brought out the worst of in-your-face ugliness in Westport and were irrevocably repudiated by Jill Dillon and voters who think realistically and critically—and we showed that we all cared. Congratulations Jill! Perfectly accomplished Lee and Neill. it took the most vile accusations of people who were relentless in their attacks to humiliate themselves in front of the whole town and their children to resoundingly say: ENOUGH!
Congratulations to Jill Dillon (what a great effort) and Sal Liccione, my RTM D9 hero, on their wins today! And to all the other candidates who came out on top in the contested races. Voter turnout was about 42% at 7 pm. See you all soon!
Given the overwhelming support of Democrats and the overwhelming opposition to a First Selectwoman, whose only goal seems to be gifting sports fields to her friends, might it be time to begin petitioning for a recall?
Here are the rules:
https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/recalls/recall-procedures-guide.pdf
Toni–This is CT. The recall rules you published are for CA. Wrong state.
Really Chris? Jen Tooker’s only goal is to “gift” sports fields to her friends?
It’s sad that this website has become nothing more than a “bullying” platform for you, and few others who enjoy being critics.
Please, try and have some civility. At the end of the day, we all try and do the best we can for our community. No one is working harder than Jen Tooker.
Jen Tooker alone can’t approve a school or a field. You know that, and so do all the 06880 critics.
Jimmy Izzo, It’s the First Amendment. I’m sticking up for Dan Woog. He has no control over comments as long as what is posted doesn’t break any rules or laws. Personally, I’ve never belonged to any political party, and don’t live in town, but I’m starting to get the feeling that Ms Tooker isn’t the right choice for Westport! By the way, I’m not sure how you fit in to the Izzo family, but I was friends with Butch Izzo, 1960 Staples graduate. He sold Christmas trees with my cousin Mike and frequented the Club 300. Don’t blame comments on Dan Woog!
Hey there Jack Backiel. First amendment here; I’m sticking up for it. Ive been seeing your valuable comments for some time. I too have nothing relevant to say, and don’t live in town, or am a member of any pol party, but I love to hear myself rant about… well, nothing. You have inspired me to contribute my worthless thoughts. I’m going to do it as often as I can, just like you. In fact, let’s compete on this very site. To see which one of us can have more nonsensical, irrelevant musings that serve no point. By the way, I think I remember someone I bumped into in the 50’s with a name sounding like Backiel at the TasteeFreeze. We ate sardines out of a can together for a moment. Was that a relative? I’ve gotta know. Please respond. Hope to see you at the picnic. If I can find a ride. And a parking pass for compo. At a reasonable price!
I never met a Dave Phil and never heard of TasteeFreeze. Dan can get you a parking pass for next summer’s Compo party, and if I show up, you can sit next to me and I’ll inspire you even more.
Hi Jack. He is Phil of it.
I see you got a name change since 1:;40 am and there’s no such person as Dave Phil, and your REAL name is Philips! Pay attention everyone. This was the guy bloviating under a FAKE NAME!
Jack big fan of Dan’s and blog…so many great things Dan does here as we don’t really have a local news outlet in town anymore.
Yes, Bernie is my uncle, he’s doing well. He loves his card games! I always loved your families bowling alley and driving range.
A Westport treasure from our youth growing up in town.
Jimmy
I’ve explained that courts recognize requests for “civility” by government officials is a means for them to stifle citizen dissent and censor opposing views. Being a Town official it is perceived as a coersion that is infringing upon Mr. Grimm’s freedom of expression – something you don’t want to do.
He is as entitled to his opinion as you are.
I urge you and other officials to please stop doing this.
Disagree if you wish but stop tarnishing the public perceptions and viewpoints you don’t like as being “uncivil”.
Fantastic News! And thanks for being the first one to share it with us, Dan. This reminds me that I need to donate to your blog again – it’s a valuable town resource too!
I don’t approve of decisions and ethics of Dan Woog. He has uniquely singled me out several times I still donated. I wish there was another blog
Jimmy. Thanks for the complement. 06880 is news with a twist. Here we are talking about your uncle which has nothing to do with the article. I’m famous going off the topic and commenting on things that have nothing to do with Dan’s story! Like now- I can picture Butch Izzo the way he was 60+ years ago!
Jen Tooker has failed to address the problems of Westport’s roads – we have the worst in the county. Example: Kings Highway, beside Birchwood, is like a 4×4 training ground – and the asphalt crack filler they recently used to fill the cracks on a lot of roads makes it worse – especially since there is more filling than than asphalt. If a road needs that much filling, it needs to be replaced – just like Jen Tooker.
Congrats to Jill our hero of Westport. Thank you for rising above the banter and politics; “when they go low, we got high”. We need more of that in our town; we can live with different views and opinion in this town with respect for one another!
The LLSBC formed and influenced by the First Selectwoman recommended that (1.) a new school should be built, and (2.) a new multipurpose field should replace the existing gardens and reserve. She approved that conflated recommendation, and when it went forward to the Board of Ed, and then Parks and Recreation, both bodies refused to bifurcate the two decisions that should have been separately made. Their rationale was that to do so might slow the process of new school construction. Continuing to present these two important issues as one could place the need for timely construction of a new school in jeopardy. This is so because aggrieved abutting landowners and those within 100 feet of the property have a right to appeal adverse decisions by P&Z and ZBA to Superior Court. If any of them do so without these issues being bifurcated and separately considered, going forward with the school construction will be delayed by litigation for months or years. We need the construction of the new Long Lots School to go forward with all deliberate speed. I urge the remaining town bodies acting on these disparate matters treat them separately.