Letter to the Editor: Checks and Balances are Important for Lyme

To the Editor

I’m writing as a neighbor who appreciates anyone willing to serve our town—and as a 20-year Lyme resident, who hopes that our local government stays balanced and transparent.

With that in mind, I’m concerned about a married couple, Mary Powell-St. Louis (“MARY”) and Tom St. Louis (“TOM”), seeking two of our three top seats (First Selectman and Selectman). Concentrating that much authority in one household can weaken the checks and balances small towns like Lyme rely on. Even the appearance of that concentration (of potential power) is troubling. National politics may be beyond our control; our local choices aren’t.

I attended the Republican Town Committee Open Forum hoping to hear two independent voices. Aside from a difference over how to address hydrilla in Hamburg Cove, I heard no meaningful policy distinctions between these husband and wife candidates. Several times, Mary interrupted Tom to display greater subject-matter familiarity—not to disagree on policy. When I asked what significant town issues they differed on, Mary replied, “good question,” but neither candidate was able to identify any substantive policy differences.

This matters for civic discourse. Healthy government needs open, independent debate—ideas tested in public, not settled privately. If domestic partners hold two of three seats, dissent can feel domestic rather than civic, which may chill participation, narrow options, and weaken accountability.

Relatives sometimes serve together in small towns; that’s part of community life, and I value that spirit of service, particularly when it is multi-generational. But granting two executive seats to spouses is different: it concentrates power, increases the likelihood of conflicts and recusals, and reduces the chance for genuine pushback.

This isn’t about party politics, it is about principle. And it would be the same for couples of either red or blue stripe; it’s about our town. Lyme deserves multiple, independent voices—people free to disagree and compelled to persuade. For balance, accountability, and healthy public discourse, please support independent representation, not a household slate.

Sincerely,

Sarah Crisp,
Lyme, CT.