TOP STORY: Old Lyme Board of Selectmen Candidates Respond to Our Questions

Candidates Weigh in on Halls Road, Climate Change and Taxes

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OLD LYME–In a rematch of the election that put Democrat Martha Shoemaker in the town’s top spot two years ago, this year’s Board of Selectmen race promises lively discussions about successes, failures and each candidate’s vision for the future. 

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 Old Lyme Board of Selectmen, and what do you see as the most important challenges facing the town in the next two years?
2. The pace and scale of development on Old Lyme has been a key issue in town, from the prospect of apartments on Halls Road to the implications that sewers might have for the shoreline gateway. How would you describe Old Lyme as it is today, and what is your vision for the town’s future?
3. How important are shoreline environmental issues—such as flooding, beach erosion, water quality, and climate change—to Old Lyme’s long-term vitality, and what steps would you take to address them?
4. What would you do to ensure that rising property taxes don’t make Old Lyme unaffordable for residents?

Candidates for Old Lyme First Selectman

Martha Shoemaker (D—incumbent)

John Mesham (R)

Candidates for Old Lyme Selectman

Jim Lampos (D—incumbent)

Jude Read (R—incumbent)

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