Campaign signs of Wallingford Town Council candidates were visible all over the town in anticipation of the November 7 elections.
By Calvin Moon ’24
All over Wallingford, election campaign signs decorate residents’ front lawns. On November 7, Wallingford citizens cast their votes for the town’s first new mayor in 40 years after Mr. William Dickinson, who had been mayor since 1984, decided not to run for another term in office. They also voted for seats on the Town Council and Board of Education.
The polls on Election Day were open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and in-person voters who were in line by 8 p.m. were allowed to vote. The Connecticut Secretary of State’s website contained services such as Voter Registration Lookup and Polling Place Locator for voters’ convenience.
Connecticut also allowed for Election Day registration at designated centers in each town. Residents had to be registered by 8 p.m. in order to vote using Election Day registration. To receive absentee ballots, voters needed to complete and sign an application and return it to their Town Clerk, or request an absentee ballot online.
After the results were counted, Republican candidate Mr. Vincent Cervoni was announced as the new Mayor. The winning candidates for Town Council, which retained a 6-3 majority for Republicans, included Ms. Christina Tatta, Mr. Craig Fishbein, Ms. Autumn Allinson, Mr. Joe Marrone III, Mr. Tom Laffin, Mr. Christopher Regan, Mr. Samuel Carmody, Mr. Vincent Testa Jr., and Mr. Jesse Reynolds.
Mayor Mr. Vincent Cervoni:
This 55-year-old Republican candidate boasts 29 years of attorney experience and 14 years on the Wallingford Town Council, including the past five terms as Chairman.
Some of his key initiatives are strengthening public safety through investing in a new, state-of-the-art Police Command Center and updating the town’s information technology, including creating a complete overhaul of town websites.
Mr. Cervoni also plans on initiating a multi-year plan for deferred town property maintenance, as well as working with the Board of Education to solve issues around the town’s two high schools. As evidence of his ability to handle the job, Mr. Cervoni cited his achievement in coordinating with the administration to host public meetings via a web platform during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Town Council members:
Republicans:
Ms. Christina Tatta
Ms. Tatta is the Chief Financial Officer at Value Auto Sales & Leasing and is serving her second term on the Town Council. She was previously the Commissioner of the Zoning Board of Appeals, Vice Chair of the Charter Revision Commission, and Vice Chair of the Wallingford Republican Town Committee. She hopes to focus on finances by ensuring that taxes are spent efficiently without affecting services to keep Wallingford affordable and reasonable to small businesses.
Mr. Craig Fishbein
Mr. Fishbein has been a trial attorney for 22 years, and has also served as a State Representative for the 90th General Assembly District for four terms and a member of the Wallingford Town Council for seven terms. He hopes to continue his quest for lower taxes, improved infrastructure, and a better daily life for Wallingford citizens in general.
Ms. Autumn Allinson
Ms. Allinson seeks to bring her knowledge of warehousing, transportation, and process improvement to the office. With skills in analytics and building operations, she hopes to tackle issues in education such as secondary school operational assessments and test scores. She believes that collecting more data will allow for change within the education system.
Mr. Joe Marrone III
Mr. Marrone has worked as a claims adjuster for 23 years and has served three terms on the Wallingford Board of Education. He wishes to focus on Wallingford’s infrastructure, including fighting for better maintenance of roads, sidewalks, and town buildings. In addition, he hopes to improve the technology in the police and fire departments.
Mr. Tom Laffin
Mr. Laffin, who has lived in Wallingford his entire life, has served on the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission and was elected to be a member on the Board of Education for two terms. In addition, he was elected to Town Council in 2011, later becoming the Vice-Chairman in 2013, and is currently serving his sixth term. Mr. Laffin seeks to renew the infrastructure in the police station, community pool, and train station.
Mr. Christopher Regan
Though he has not held public office, Mr. Regan believes his experiences as the CEO of an Information Technology services company have given him the leadership and technology skills he will utilize in office. His priorities lie in maintaining low taxes and modernizing the town’s technology infrastructure.
Democrats:
Mr. Samuel Carmody
Mr. Carmody is a sixth-generation Wallingford native who brings extensive experience as a senior adviser to Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and as Deputy Registrar of Voters for two years. His priorities include implementing economic development policies that will help recruit businesses and increase tax base as well as ensuring a first-rate education system.
Vincent Testa Jr.
Mr. Testa has spent two years on the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission and eight years on the Board of Education. He is currently serving his ninth term on the Town Council. His priorities lie in public facilities and services, such as the Community Pool project, a skate park, and infrastructure in general.
Mr. Jesse Reynolds
Mr. Reynolds has been a biostatistician and the Director of the Clinical Trials Team at Yale University for 11 years. He has served Wallingford as a volunteer in many capacities and hopes to address the town’s issues, primarily its infrastructure. He wishes to do so by fixing the town’s roads, sidewalks, buildings, and other facilities.
Wallingford residents can look forward to the changes these elected candidates will implement over the course of their terms.
