Zandri Appointed To Wallingford Council In Contentious Meeting

Wallingford CT

19 January, 2022

3:29 AM

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WALLINGFORD, CT — Republicans on the Wallingford Town Council rejected the Democratic Town Committee's endorsed candidate to fill a vacancy and appointed former Councilor Jason Zandri in an emotionally charged meeting on Tuesday night. Leading up to Tuesday's meeting, the Democratic Town Committee urged the council's Republicans to follow what they said was precedent and accept the committee's request to have Alexa Tomassi appointed to fill the vacancy left by Gina Morgenstein's recent resignation. Morgenstein, who works as a physician assistant in Meriden, was elected to a third term on the council in November, but announced in late December that she would be resigning. She told the Record-Journal at the time that she needed to prioritize the responsibilities in her personal life, including elder care, and that the pandemic has become untenable. Tomassi received 5,854 votes in the November election and was the next highest vote getter who didn't win a seat on the council. The Town Charter states that the council is responsible for appointing a replacement to fill a vacancy. In urging Republicans to accept Tomassi, the Democratic Town Committee cited two examples in 2015 and 1997 where the nominations by the respective town committees were honored and accepted in similar situations. However, the Record-Journal reported that in 1980 the Democrat-controlled council rejected the Republican Town Committee's endorsed candidate to fill a vacancy. Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. was the Republican Town Committee's chairman at the time. Democratic Councilor Vincent Testa nominated Tomassi to fill the vacancy, which was seconded by Democratic newcomer Sam Carmody. Testa said that "unless there are strong legitimate reasons for someone to have objections, the tradition and policy of the council is to follow these recommendations out of a sense of respect, out of a sense of protocol, out of a sense of courtesy, so on and so forth." He also said that given Tomassi's qualifications, her work on the campaign trail and the votes she received, "you don't have to explain it, you don't have to justify" voting in favor of her nomination. "But, I dare say, if you choose not to follow my nomination, you have to justify that," Testa said. Several residents spoke in favor of Tomassi, including Democratic mayoral candidate Riley O'Connell, who lost to Dickinson in a close election in November. O'Connell warned Republicans that to vote against Tomassi's nomination would be putting party over precedent and above the "clear demonstrated will of the voters." O'Connell also addressed the 1980 situation and said there were consequences for the Democratic party, saying they haven't had full control of the Wallingford town government since then. "They paid the price for choosing party over the greater good of Wallingford," O'Connell said. Republican Councilor Joe Marrone said Tomassi worked really hard during the campaign and he hopes that she's on the council at some point, but said, "unfortunately, I do have a Democrat in mind that I think is a better choice." Tomassi's nomination then failed by a 6-2 vote, prompting an outburst and some shouts of "shame on you" along with some obscenities from the audience. Republican Council Chairman Vincent Cervoni called to order and said "we're trying to run an organized meeting here." When that prompted another outburst, Cervoni said "keep talking and we'll take a recess until you decide you can be orderly." Republican Craig Fishbein then nominated Zandri to fill the vacancy. Zandri, who completed his fourth term on the council in December, resigned from the Democratic Town Committee in June and didn't seek the party's endorsement. He clashed with the party's leaders and the strategy of running only six candidates (the maximum seats the majority can hold) for the council. Zandri planned on petitioning his way onto the ballot in his bid for re-election, but missed the deadline to secure the needed signatures when he suffered a heart attack and was unconscious for eight days in the hospital. Fishbein said that he made the nomination "not with any ill intent" for Tomassi. "Instead, I make this nomination upon four main reasons," Fishbein said. "First, because he [Zandri] wants to continue to serve. Second, because he was unreasonably denied the ability to run for the seat that he would have won. Third, because the precedent set by the Democrats back in 1980 provides that flexibility. I've heard a lot about precedent, we're going to talk about precedent. "And fourth, because there's really no other person in this town that should be selected instead of Jason Zandri." Zandri's nomination was approved 6-0 with Testa and Carmody abstaining. Morgenstein criticized the council's six Republicans for not honoring precedent with the vote. "It is very disappointing that the first action from this newly seated Council was a partisan and political one that disenfranchised the 5,854 Wallingford voters who cast their ballot for Alexa Tomassi," Morgenstein said in a statement provided by the Democratic Town Committee. "This new Council has failed in recognizing the importance of previous Councils who honored precedent and resisted partisan political temptation. "It is so wrong that the public was not given fair due. It is also so wrong that the chairman enforced a time limit which is something that has NOT been enforced by the chairman in the years I have served. I have been in meetings lasting past 1:30 am giving the public their full time. "It was equally dismaying that Mr. Zandri accepted an appointment from a group of 6 Republicans after making false claims about the Wallingford Democratic Town Committee having a small inner group making decisions for the greater group while ignoring the will of the people. It is also dismaying to hear the Republicans beliefs in one side of a complex situation of our Democratic Town Committee. It is highly hypocritical to accept this appointment negating the 5,854 Wallingford voters he claims should always be considered first. "It is shameful how a little power and ego can distort character and integrity. This decision and appointment is the absolute wrong message to send in this highly partisan and divisive time. Ms. Tomassi deserved better, the voters of Wallingford deserve better." Watch the full council meeting below: