While there are some positions in Ridgefield up for election on November 7, the role of First Selectman is not one of them. The position is a four-year term.  Ridgefield residents will be electing members to the Boards of Finance, Education and Assessment Appeals, the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and Police Commissioners.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi says there are a number of things he’d like to work on in during the remainder of his term.

Marconi says one of the big projects is the milling and paving of Main Street.  He notes that a couple of through lanes to allow a better flow of traffic should eliminate times when there are massive tie ups. The project is slated to go out to bid next year with construction scheduled for 2019.

The phone system for the schools was upgraded this year. A new library and a new Boys & Girls Club are now up and running. Marconi also touted the Prospector Theater for the work that the non-profit is doing. The facility is fully accessible to those with physical disabilities and has a mission of providing meaningful employment to people with disabilities.

The expansion of the Central Business District is being discussed right now because of a proposed expansion of the Boys & Girls Club. Marconi says there is some concern because East Ridge is a residential street, which could open the neighborhood to retail if the facility moves.

In terms of assisted living, there’s nothing on the horizon, though there has been some talk on the Pond’s Edge property and some other areas of town. A proposal making its way through the Planning and Zoning process, there’s an 85-unit memory care facility on Old Quarry Road.

The state’s budget problems could have an impact on Ridgefield. The proposal calls for an elimination of Education Cost Sharing money. Marconi noted that while it’s a substantial number, the town has adjusted to it. He says Ridgefield doesn’t really get any money from the state of Connecticut so when cuts are made, it’s not felt as deeply as some of their neighboring towns and regional school districts.

Marconi has told the Governor that to penalize the towns because they have been good managers, generally speaking, is the wrong approach to take. He says the state legislature and the Governor are not leading by example when it comes to finances.  Speaking 115 days into the fiscal year and just before it was revealed that the car property tax would not in fact be eliminated in 2018-2019, Marconi said it’s a shame that towns can’t predict anything that the legislature or Governor will do.