RTM Regroups

Monday evening saw a renewed Representative Town Meeting regroup, and re-elect Karen Armour as Moderator.

The beginning of a new term prompted the reorganization of the RTM, Darien’s nonpartisan legislative arm. Regularity and order are fundamental to the group, whose main responsibilities are to pass laws and ordinances and appropriate money; but at the Annual Meeting, all is in limbo. Newly elected members have yet to take the oath, districts need chairs, committees are short on members, and most notably, the group lacks a Moderator.

Town Clerk Donna Rajczewski called the meeting to order and began with “the swearing-in of newly elected members.” The RTM is composed of 100 members who represent the town’s six districts; each member serves a two-year term, and half of each district’s members are elected (without party affiliation) at every municipal election. Last week, the town elected 49 members—old and new—to the RTM. They took the oath of office last night, en masse.

The election of a Moderator came next. The Moderator plays umpire for the RTM and also serves as Chairman of the Rules Committee, a group that deals with the internal administration of the RTM and sets the agenda. Rajczewski said she had received two nominations “in the mail”: one for Armour (District VI), who held the title until 12:01 a.m. on Monday, and a second for former Selectman Seth Morton (District III). Nominations could be taken from the floor, Rajczewski said, but no one took up the opportunity.

“I’m going to invite Seth up and tell us why he would like to be Moderator,” said Rajczewski.

Morton took the podium.

“It’s great to be here,” he said. “I feel like I’m home. It’s wonderful.”

Morton has served the RTM for 22 years, 17 of which he spent on the Financial Budget Committee and seven as Vice Chair for the Rules Committee. Most recently, Morton served on the Board of Selectmen, alongside former First Selectman Evonne Klein. Morton said his experience has given him a familiarity with the town’s government and the town’s issues. But the main thrust of Morton’s speech was the importance of impartiality and healthy debate.

“If you lose the sense of the body of impartiality you lose the body; I do think it’s important to encourage stability in debate” said Morton. “We are coming into a time of very complicated decisions, and it’s important to get as much out on the table as possible to decide what we’re doing and where we ought to go.” said Morton, who wrapped up his speech with a quick resume rehash.

Where Morton ended, Armour began: a resume rundown. Her experience of “studying how Darien’s government works,” which includes 25 years on the RTM and eight years as Moderator, was the driving force of Armour’s speech.

“We the RTM are a legislative arm distinct from the Executive branch,” said Armour, in her closing remarks. “When we all agree, some accuse us of being a rubber stamp; when we differ, we’re characterized as uncooperative. In my tenure we’ve experienced both, and I intend to continue that record, welcoming new members’ contributions, and above all being fair.”

As to why she wanted to run again, Armour pointed to what Morton described as “a time of complicated decisions.”

“In view of recent developments, I didn’t want to quit in the middle,” said Armour in a private interview.

Then came the vote. Morton and Armour each appointed a “counter” to tally the members' votes, written down on scraps of paper.

“Mrs. Armour, I’d like to invite you to the podium to take over as Chair,” said Rajczewski.

RTM members Jim Cameron (District IV) and Carolyn Schoonmaker (District IV) were then re-elected to the five-member Board of Ethics, an independent group that deals with members’ ethical concerns if and when they come about.

The body broke up into districts, and each appointed a chair, vice chair, and two Rules Committee members.

Results are as follows:

District I

• Chair: John Price
• Vice Chair: Lois Schenieder
• Rules Committee: John Price and Flora Smith

District II

• Chair: Paige Ridley
• Vice Chair: Sarah Seelye
• Rules Committee: Elisabeth Bacon and Marc Thorne

District III

• Chair: Carolyn Bayne
• Vice Chair: Tom Moore
• Rules Committee: Seth Morton and Dennis Maroney

District IV

• Chair: Carolyn Miller
• Vice Chair: Brian Rayhill
• Rules Committee: Maria Cleary and Anita Rycenga

District V

• Chair: James Patrick
• Vice Chair: Chris Camuti
• Rules Committee: Joane Hennessey and Mark Adiletta

District VI

• Chair: Diane Conologue
• Vice Chair: Mary Guimond
• Rules Committee: Mary Guimond and Gary Swenson

The Rules Committee will meet next Monday, Nov. 16. An organizational meeting of the full RTM is scheduled for Nov. 23.