TOP STORY: Lyme Board of Selectpeople Candidates Respond to Our Questions

Hopefuls Weigh In On Affordable Housing, Shrinking Volunteer Numbers and Taxes

LYME–A rare contested election for the Board of Selectpeople is playing out on road signs spread across the town’s serene landscape in variations of red, white and blue. 

The candidates responded with a 350-word limit to four questions that we posed. We thank them for responding in a timely fashion and adhering to our rules.

Click on each name below to learn more about them in their own words. 

1. Why are you running for the Lyme Board of Selectmen, and what skills or experiences make you the right candidate for that role?
2. Lyme, like the other municipalities in the state, is being called upon to increase the availability of affordable housing. What is your view on the need for affordable housing in Lyme, and how should the town balance state requirements with local calls to preserve its rural nature? 
3. Lyme proudly relies on its volunteers to create a safe and supportive community, from fighting fires and responding to medical calls to sitting on boards and commissions. With volunteer numbers shrinking and a limited pool to pull from, what ideas do you have for encouraging more people to serve the town? 
4. In order of importance, what do you see as the top three challenges facing Lyme over the next two years?

Candidates for Lyme First Selectman

Tom St. Louis (R)

Christy Zelek (U–petitioning)

Candidates for Lyme Selectmen

John Kiker (D—incumbent)

Mary Powell-St. Louis (R)

Kristina White (D—petitioning incumbent)

In Lyme, all Board of Selectpeople seats are up for election every two years. Voters will be asked to vote for one candidate for first selectperson and one candidate for selectperson. The winner of the first selectperson contest wins the title, with the next two highest vote-getters securing spots as selectpeople. State law specifies no more than two members of the Board of Selectpeople can be from the same party.

Absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election are available now. Early voting begins Oct. 20.

In keeping with our long-held tradition, we will not be making candidate endorsements.

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