Which Avon Democrats Will Run for Re-Election in November?

All sitting Democrats for the Town Council and municipal boards are running for re-election in November.

The Democratic Town Committee had its caucus on Wednesday night at 11 Buttonwood Hill Road at the home of Kimberly A. Schwerdtfeger.

So what are positions are Avon residents going to be voting on in the fall?

The Democrats voted for David Peña (D) and William J. Shea II (D) to run for re-election for Town Council.

"I felt that I could still contribute to the town and certainly the committee felt that way too," Peña said Wednesday night after he was nominated.

All five seats on the Town Council will be open, including Town Council Chairman Mark W. Zacchio (R)'s helm slot. The two-year term council members serve also has expired for Pamela V. Samul (R) and Douglas M. Evans (R).

On the school board side, Democrats Barbara Zuras and Houston Putnam Lowry, board secretary, were also both nominated to run again. Five of nine Board of Education seats will be up for election, including seats held by Republicans Michael Eagen, vice-chair, Ken Notestine and Stacy Biernat. The board members serve four-year terms.

Brett F. Eisenlohr (D) is the only Democrat on the Board of Finance whose four-year term has expired. The Democratic Town Committee nominated him as a candidate for re-election. Thomas A. Gugliotti is the only other Democrat on the finance board, but his term ends in 2013. Chairman Thomas Harrison's (R) four-year term is also up, and the same goes for board member William R. Hooper II (R).

Harrison said Thursday that he has notified the Republican party that he is interested in running again. Incumbants interested in being re-elected typically are nominated again, though that is not always the case, he said.

The Republican Town Committee has not had its caucus yet to select candidates for the fall election, but the meeting should be held in the coming week.

Seven-member boards, Harrison said, can have a maximum of five people from one party, as mandated by state law. Currently the Republicans have the majority at five. With Gugliotti already seated, Eisenlohr running again and three seats open, that does allow the Democrats to campaign two additional candidates.

Five-member boards like the Town Council can have up to four seated from one party, so that means that the Democrats can run two additional candidates, along with Shea and Peña. The Republicans have three on the council, so if they all run for re-election, they are allowed to have one additional candidate.

Nine-member boards like the Board of Education can have up to six from one party.

The majority party in the council and boards select the chairman, who is not necessarily the highest vote getter, Harrison said.

Three of the five slots for the Board of Assessment Appeals are up for election for a four-year term. Republicans James R. McCarthy, Stephen E. Hunt and Laura A. Mensi have served their full four-year term.

Finally, three Zoning Board of Appeals seats are open, currently held by Chairman John E. Drew (R), William E. Eschert (R) and Brian Ladouceur, Jr. (R), who is also chairman of the Republican Town Committee. Their four-year terms have expired.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties are required to register their candidates by July 27, according to Town Clerk Ann Dearstyne.

The Democratic Town Committe has not yet released the names of the remaining candidates nominated who are not incumbants.

Editor's Note: Check back for updates on the complete caucus results. This story was last updated July 21, 2011 at 11:25 a.m.