Yesterday was the Annual Amity Budget Referendum. Only 471 people from Woodbridge turned out to vote out of a total of 1412 people across the school district. While this was a disappointing result, it was only 16 less people from Woodbridge than the year before, and only 26 less for all of the three towns.

The individual numbers weren’t really all that different in Woodbridge either. There was a slight movement against the budget in Woodbridge this year with 23 less people voting for the budget and 7 more people voting against it.

Bethany actually saw six more people vote in 2011 than they saw in 2010. Fifteen less people voted for the budget and twenty-one more people voted for it.

Orange saw the biggest changes. Overall they only had sixteen less people voting. However, because of the increase in the number of students from Orange at Amity, they will be hit harder than the other towns in terms of the budget. This resulted in 95 less people voting for the budget and and 79 more people voting against the budget.

As people hung around the Center in Woodbridge waiting for the polls to close some suggested that the issue in Orange is a belief that they could build their way out of a financial problem. The problem with building more houses is that more people live in the houses and it costs more to provide services to these people, such as the cost of educating the children in these new houses.

Another interesting tidbit came up. I did not know that you did not have to be registered to vote in the budget. Besides registered voters, U.S. Citizens who are listed on the property tax rolls as having at least $1000 worth of property in town can vote. One person showed up in Woodbridge who was not registered, was a property holder, but it turns out was not a U.S. citizen and because of this didn’t end up getting to vote.

With that, here are the results for last year and this year:

2010 Results

2011 Results

Orange Government Access Television sent us a copy of their recording of a candidates forum held on 10/19. Candidates for the CT House of Representatives, district 114--covering Woodbridge, Orange & Derby--were included.

The Office of the Woodbridge Registrar of Voters announces the Democratic Primary for the midterm election will be held on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at the Center Building , Meetinghouse Lane , Woodbridge , Connecticut . Voting will take place between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

A mandatory ‘Primary Enrollment Session’ will take place on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (14 days before Primary Day) for the purpose of registration and/or enrollment of electors entitled to vote in the Democratic Primary. At this time, the Registrar will also hear requests for adding names to the Registry List by persons removed. Electors may determine their party status by calling the Registrar of Voters at 203-389-3408.

Electors wishing to vote in the Democratic Primary must affiliate with the Democratic Party in order to vote on August 10, 2010. Additionally, Connecticut joins approximately ten other states who allow electors who are seventeen (17) to vote in a primary if they turn eighteen (18) by the midterm election on November 2nd.

Those persons who wish to vote in the Democratic Primary may register either in person or by mail. Mail-in registrations must be postmarked by August 5, 2010. In-person applications must be received in the Office of the Registrar of Voters by 12 noon on Monday, August 9, 2010.

Requests for applications for Absentee Ballots are now being accepted. Absentee Ballot applications are available at the Town Clerk’s Office or you may download an application from the Town website: woodbridgect.org. Go to Departments, then Town Clerk and click on Elections. Absentee ballots for the Democratic Primary become available on July 20, 2010. For further information, please call the Office of the Registrar of Voters at 203-389-3408, or the Office of the Town Clerk at 203-389-3422.

Josh Hershman, originally uploaded by Aldon.

Capping off a busy few days, delegates to the Democratic 114th District State Representative Convention unanimously nominated Josh Hershman as their candidate. Mr. Hershman is a graduate of Amity High School. He received a Bachelor’s Degree with honors from Muhlenberg college and is currently a Law student at the University of Connecticut School of Law. He is the son of Probate Judge Peter Hershman.

The convention was called to order by temporary chair Jerry Weiner, with Beth Heller appointed temporary secretary. The delegates quickly voted Mr. Weiner to be permanent chair and Ms. Heller to be permanent secretary. Mr. Weiner nominated Mr. Hershman and the nomination was seconded by Sheila McCreven.

In his acceptance speech Mr. Hershman noted the change coming to Hartford as voters will elect a new Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State and Comptroller. Mr. Hershman hopes to provide voters in Woodbridge, Derby and Orange the opportunity to elect a new State Representative as well.

Delegates to the State Representative convention included people who had served as delegates to the State Convention in Hartford over the weekend, as well as the State Senate convention Monday evening in Hamdem.

At the State Convention, Woodbridge delegates voted 4-2 for Ned Lamont over Dan Malloy and a 4-2 vote for Mary Glassman over Nancy Wyman. On the first vote for Secretary of State, five delegates voted for Denise Merrill and one voted for Gerry Garcia. On the second ballot, all of the Woodbridge delegates voted for Denise Merrill. For comptroller, the Woodbridge delegation was unified in voting 6-0 for Kevin Lembo.

The State Senate convention attracted 43 delegates from around the 17th Senate District. Mr. Weiner also served as temporary and permanent chair of the State Senate convention. State Senator Joe Crisco was unanimously nominated for re-election.

With the conventions over, candidates and their delegates are gearing up for the campaigns.

Democratic Third Congressional District Convention, originally uploaded by Aldon.

Monday evening, several Woodbridge Democrats served as delegates to the Democratic Third Congressional District convention. State Central Committeeman and Town Counsel Gerry Weiner was elected chair of the convention, as has become the tradition, and led the convention through the process of nominating Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro to run for an eleventh term as Congresswoman from the Third District, which includes Woodbridge.

Two hundred and thirty three delegates and many guests attended. Besides Mr. Weiner, Woodbridge guests and delegates to the convention included State Senator Joe Crisco, Selectman Laurence Grotheer, Town Clerk Stephanie Ciarlegglio, Police Commissioner Tina Weiner, Fire Commissioner Elia Alexiades, and Inlands/Wetlands Agency member Jen Just.

In speeches in favor of nominating Congresswoman DeLauro for another term, retired railroad employee Claire Phelan from Milford spoke about the problem with the donut hole for seniors. Yale student Michael Gocksch spoke about the concern students graduating from college have about being able to maintain health insurance. Small business owner Joseph Bango spoke about the difficulties the health care system has created for small businesses, and cancer survivor Melissa Marottoli spoke about how pre-existing conditions have limited the opportunities for cancer survivors and others.

Congresswoman DeLauro took the stage to accept the nomination, saying, “I am proud to serve in a Congress that made health care reform a reality.” She put it into the context of doing her job, “It is what it is all about…transforming the lives of people of our great nation”, and she spoke the “reminders of the fundamental decency of the people of our district”.

Many of the same delegates will attend the 2010 Democratic Judge of Probate Convention Tuesday evening in Ansonia.

The Amity 2010-2011 budget easily passed in light voting Wednesday. Preliminary results had 1003 yes votes to 435 no votes, or approximately 70%-30%. In Woodbridge, the tallying was recorded for WGATV and the registrars and their staff conscientiously made sure that those who wanted to observe the tallying had a good view. Besides being recorded for WGATV, results in Woodbridge were also streamed live on QIK and posted on Facebook.

On a town by town basis, the results were

Registrars of Voters are making plans to hold a registration drive at Amity, probably on Wednesday, April 7.

In a year of fiscal challenges, lawmakers in Hartford are again considering changing state statutes to require municipalities to hold their local elections in November, instead of May or November which current statutes allow. Woodbridge is one of five towns that still hold local elections in May. The Secretary of State’s office supports the proposed measure and has testified in previous years that such a change would produce savings for the cash strapped government in Hartford. In addition, many believe such a change would increase voter participation in municipal elections.

Residents of Woodbridge, concerned with finding ways to help the state government have contacted State Representative Themis Klarides requesting that municipal elections be held statewide in November. This was communicated to the Government Administration and Elections Committee and had been inserted as section 40 of Raised Bill No. 421. Unfortunately, the language was specific to Woodbridge, instead of to all five municipalities holding local elections in May, and without it being applied to all towns, the expected cost savings are less likely to be realized.

A local newspaper report stated

Local residents are wondering why Slossberg and her committee would attempt to interfere with local governance and practices that have prevailed for two hundred years...[and] why the state would have a vested interest in when Woodbridge conducts its municipal elections.

To the extent that the state has oversight over local and regional activities and must incur the cost of that oversight, it seems clear that it should have a vested interested in local activities. A recent related example is the consolidation of probate courts across the state.

Local residents and reporters who wonder why things happen the way they do in Hartford are encouraged to contact their state legislators. Our state legislators are responsive and eager to explain what is being considered in Hartford.

News 12 is now reporting that Sen. Slossberg has bowed to the complaints of a few vocal residents and removed these cost saving measures.