I grew up in North Haven, CT - a town of about 25,000 residents just north of New Haven, Ct. And to be specific, it's not a race for "Mayor" but for "First Selectman." It's a rather arcane system that no one outside of town hall really understands.
In any case the incumbent is a man named Kevin Kopetz, a Republican. He's being challenged by a Democrat named Janet McCarty. The last Democrat to hold the First Selectman's chair was 36 years ago.
The New Haven Register describes things this way:
North Haven doesn't need just a new first selectman, Town Hall needs a thorough house cleaning. After 36 years of Republican rule, town government has become a closed affair where party leaders held town jobs, the charter's bid requirements were systematically ignored and corruption allegedly flourished.
Last week's arrest of the suspended finance director, Vincent Palmeri, emphasizes the depth of the municipal rot. He had first been charged in April with covering up theft of town money by Joseph Ierardi, the town's recreation and community services director and former Republican town chairman.
Ierardi and his wife, Patricia, who was assistant community services director, are charged with filing bogus overtime, fake expenses and pocketing charitable contributions to the town.
Palmeri's second arrest was for buying himself three pistols with town money during the 1990s.
I'm not kidding. Here's more:
Kopetz went along with Joseph Ierardi's handing out work without seeking bids, a costly practice that extended throughout town government. The school bus contract was not put out to bid in 20 years. When bids were finally sought for the town's insurance, North Haven saved $1.4 million on its premium.
Until this year, a state law was circumvented that requires town meeting approval of budget transfers of more than $20,000. In the fiscal year that ended in 2006, there were 37 budget transfers of $19,999.
So you think we got it bad here in Pittsburgh? With just a once-handcuffed (though not arrested) Tiger Woods stalker named Luke Ravenstahl partying at a Toby Keith concert in a DHS security vehicle?
Y'inz guys got nottin' on North Haven!
