WILTON — The Board of Selectpersons on Tuesday set Jan. 5 to elect a selectmen to succeed Paul Berkey, who has resigned.

 

 

“We’re grateful for the time he served this town,” Selectperson Tiffany Maiuri said.

 

Berkey, who was chairman of the board since June, moved out of town, making him ineligible to continue serving, Maiuri said.

 

The board elected Maiuri as chairman and Scott Taylor as vice chairman until June.

 

Nomination papers will be available Oct. 13 at the Town Office and must be returned by Nov. 20.

 

Although the state would allow the board to remain at four members until the regular town meeting in June, Selectperson Scott Taylor felt a fifth member should come on board and attend a few meetings before budget season begins.

 

Maiuri was not interested in a speedy process for the election but Taylor said he felt the election should take place before June.

 

The state would allow the town to hold a minimum 24-day voting process, making the vote coincide with regular elections on Nov. 3 but there would be little time to let people know and get nomination papers returned, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said. 

 

A third option was to hold the vote in January after the holidays.

 

Town Clerk Diane Dunham said a special election would cost about $200 to pay ballot clerks plus the additional cost of the ballots. The January date will also allow for absentee ballots to be available 30 days before the election, she said.

 

The person elected in January will finish Berkey’s term which ends in June 2017, Irish said.

 

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