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11/10/2023 11:12 AMVoters opted to maintain Democratic leadership, selecting Cindy Lignar over her republican challenger, Ron Amara, as the town’s next first selectman. Lignar, who received 884 votes to Amara’s 573, will replace outgoing Democratic First Selectman Charlene Janecek.
"I am deeply honored to have been elected the next first selectman of Chester," said Lignar.
Lignar will be joined on the Board of Selectmen by Republican Paul Radicchi, who received 636 votes, and Democrat Pat Bandzes, who received 815 votes. All three will replace Janecek, Edmund Meehan, and Thomas Englert on the board.
“I am honored and humbled to be elected to the Board of Selectman,” said Bandzes. “I am ready to put my knowledge and experience to work in this new position on behalf of all Chester residents.”
While Radicchi believed that the partisanship of each candidate in the race played too much of a significant role in the decision to vote, he is nonetheless “optimistic about the future, and that I and other Republicans can work in a collaborative manner with the Democrats to get things done,” he said.
“I have faith that going forward, our boards and commissions will work effectively in a bipartisan fashion to achieve goals that provide the best health and wellbeing for all our town residents, taxpayers, and businesses,” said Radicchi.
Justin Kronholm and John Connelly will be the newest members of the Board of Finance, receiving 813 and 844 votes, respectively. All other incumbent members of the board who were up for reelection retained their positions on the board.
Republican Michael King won 760 votes to replace the outgoing Patricia Bisacky on the Planning and Zoning Commission. She defeated Republican challenger Carl Manning, who got 549 votes. Democrat Carlie Manning will retain her seat on the commission with 818 votes cast for her. Incumbent chair Michael Sanders will remain on the board but as an alternate, having also received 546 votes to replace a two-year vacancy on the board. Current members, Democrat Michael Joplin and Republican Randy Myers will remain on the board, receiving 913 and 741 votes, respectively.
Incumbent Chester representatives on the Region 4 Board of Education, Richard Strauss and Lol Fearon, ran as unopposed Democrats to retain their positions. Strauss received 1,044 votes, while Fearon got 1,049. Democrat Catherine Cahill received 1,046 votes as Library Trustee.
In the referendum to appropriate $622,947 “for the cost of the John Winthrop Middle School Security Project,” 872 votes were cast. The project is meant to add an extra layer of security to the middle school and should be “compliant with all applicable building codes, “said Superintendent Brian White. The project will see the installation of an exterior elevator leading to the vestibule. White said the project is expected by the district to begin its construction phase in the summer of 2024.