UPDATE: RTM Elects New Members

Six new members to the Representative Town Meeting took the oath of office last night. A low turnout of candidates during election season left District II of the RTM with five empty seats; and when a member stepped down just days before Nov. 3, District I was in a similar position: short a member.  Those seats were filled Monday evening at two caucuses held 7 and 7:45 p.m. respectively.

The RTM is Darien's nonpartisan legislative arm. Roughly half of the RTM's 100 members who represent the town's six district is elected each year. Regularity and order are fundamental to the group, whose main responsibilities are to pass laws and ordinances and appropriate money; last night's caucus was no exception.

District Chair Paige Ridley coordinated the process, adhering strictly to Town Charter and Robert's Rules of Order. In an hour-long election process, each of the seven candidates had seven minutes to make their case: three to present, and four to answer questions. A secret ballot voting process followed, and the group nominated two members to count the ballots. Five votes constituted a majority, requisite for election to the RTM.

Member Barbara Thorne said and others reiterated that each of the candidates would be a valuble addition to the RTM. Though only five would return, Thorne urged all candidates to "stay in touch," regardless of the outcome.

"Who knows whats going to happen in another-whatever? So don't go away, " she said.

Ridley then announced the five "winning" candidates:

Shelley Carder, 68 Arrowhead Way
A Darien mother of three with a background in law, Shelley first learned of the vacancies on Darien Patch. Her husband owns a number of flower shops in the city. She has a strong interest in the revitalization of downtown Darien and the Flood Mitigation Project at Baker Park.

Michael Harman, 3 Andrews Drive
Involved in the military from a young age, Harman said that Darien is his first real "home." Harman works for a consultancy firm in Stamford where he works with new product innovation. He's lived in town with his wife and kids for nearly ten years, and plans on staying. He has a strong interest in education and serves as a Budget representative for Tokeneke Elementary School where his children attend.

Kirk Hoffman, 35 Dickinson Road
Kirk and his family moved to Darien during election season. He works for the Royal Bank of Scotland and has a keen interest in the commercial and business challenges facing Darien. He has three young boys in Darien Public Schools and has a strong interest in "making sure Darien can be the town it has the potential to be."

Spencer McIlmurray, 27 Pheasant Run
A 20-year Darien resident with an extensive background in politics, McIlmurray said he is most interested in local government and the unique challenges facing municipalities. He has one daughter who attends King Low Heywood Thomas, where McIlmurray has served the the Board of Trustees.

Fu-chin Cecelia Mundt, 149 Old Kings Highway South
Mundt (who goes by Cecelia) has a Bachelors in Natural Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and has worked in hospitals on both an administrative and clinical level. Her passions translate into concern and interest in Darien's environmental issues, particularly flooding and proposed mitigation efforts. A mother of young children and an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University, it was not until recently that Mundt felt she could make the commitment to the RTM.

Candidates Pamela Bass, 190 Long Neck Point Road and Sara Zagrodzky, 30 Crimmins Road did not receive enough votes for election to the RTM.

Of the two District I candidates vying for one empty seat, Timothy Schwarz was elected over Cassandra Hegerty.

The six new members took the oath of office before Town Clerk Donna Rajczewski and the full RTM at the start of the State of the Town Meeting.