In close race, Urgo wins second term as North Stonington first selectman - The Westerly Sun

NORTH STONINGTON — Michael Urgo said that while he is proud of his accomplishments during his inaugural term as the town's first selectman, there is a lot of work still left to be done.

Urgo, a member of the Independent party of Connecticut who was endorsed by North Stonington Democrats, will serve a second term after he defeated Republican challenger Brett Mastroianni by 30 votes in Tuesday's election. Urgo received 907 to 877 for Mastroianni.

The focus now turns to economic development and preparing the town to be self sufficient well into the future, Urgo said.

"We have been working on a lot of initiatives during the first term that are just now coming to fruition," said Urgo, 42. "The close race means obviously there is a lot of work still to be done to connect with the public and do a great job for the town as a whole."

Urgo will be joined on the Board of Selectmen by incumbents Robert A Carlson, a Republican, and Democrat Nita Kincaid. Carlson received 996 votes to Kincaid's 738, and both were reelected in what was an uncontested race.

The two said they are looking forward to continuing to serve the community as members of the Board of Selectmen and are hoping to work together to spur economic development and find a way to take the financial burden off of taxpayers.

"We need to make sure we are continuing to grow, but that we do so responsibly," Kincaid said. "We don't want to have the kind of development that will transform this small town, but we do need to find a sustainable way to stabilize and grow our grand list."

Carlson, 65, said he is proud of his conservative record on spending and will work to tighten the town's budget, saying it is time to reevaluate the impact of recent projects before spending further on capital improvements.

Mastroianni, 44, said Tuesday that while he is obviously disappointed, he was happy with the strong voter turnout and said the fact that town Republicans managed to maintain majorities on other boards, including the Planning and Zoning Commission, is an important step in making sure everyone's interests will be represented.

In the contest for two seats on the Planning and Zoning Commission, Republicans Edward C. Learned and Louis Steinbrecher outpolled Democrats Jenn Pensa and Connie Berardi to earn election and help Republicans maintain the majority.

Democrat Mark Leonard was also elected to the commission Tuesday, defeating Republican Asa Palmer 858 to 793 for a vacant four-year term. Republican Robert Kappes defeated Democrat Dick Seager, 827 to 740, and will serve as the alternate to the board.

"That was about the best case scenario for our party, and really for the voters," said Mastroianni, who also serves as the chairman of the North Stonington Republican Town Committee and was reelected to serve on the Economic Development Commission. "Had Asa won, we would have needed to give up a seat to the minority party, but this way voters get exactly what they selected."

Mastroianni said that by maintaining the majority on that board, town Republicans are able to assure they will have a voice in planning for the future and making sure that economic development in the community is both properly located and done in a manner that protects the town and its taxpayers.

He said the close vote in the first selectmen contest also shows a need for more public input and urged Urgo to work across party lines to better represent conservative residents in North Stonington.

"To be this close to the incumbent, it shows that the residents of town want more input into the process. This stirred a lot of discourse in the community and it's time for us to come together now and work towards a common goal," he said.

Urgo acknowledged that he will need to keep an open line of communication. "We need to continue to work hard and across party lines in planning for the future of our town. I am confident that if we work together, we will be able to see that economic development in the areas we want it to be in," Urgo said.

Other boards and commissions

Democrat Mark Donahue received 877 votes to defeat Republican challenger William Mason, who received 807, and will serve as town treasurer.

In the race for Board of Finance, Carolyn Howell received 871 votes and outpaced Republican Daniel Smith, who received 802 votes. Both will serve on the board, alongside Board of Finance Alternate Anne Akin, who ran as a Republican and defeated Democratic challenger Connie Berardi by an 850-766.

Incumbent Republicans Alex Karpinski, who received 987 votes, and Philip Mendolia, with 784 votes, were the top vote-getters for the open Board of Education position. Democratic incumbent Darren Robert received 778 votes, while newcomer Stephanie Mastroianni, a Democrat, received 750 votes. All four will serve on the board.

In the race for Board of Assessment Appeals, Republican Candy Palmer defeated Democrat Paula Woodward, 858 to 788.

All four of the candidates on the ballot for the Economic Development Commission will be seated. Republican Brett Mastroianni led the way with 918 votes, followed by Republican William Mason with 825, Democrat Jennifer Anderson with 787 and Democrat Nicole Porter with 740. Republican Stefan Grufstedt ran unopposed for an open two-year seat and Republican Jennifer Strunk defeated Democrat Anthony Mazzella to earn the spot as an alternate to the commission.

Republican Shawn Murphy received 993 votes and was the top vote-getter for the Zoning Board of Appeals, beating out fellow Republican Brice Smith, who had 990 votes, and Democrat Breeze Floyd, who had 842. All three will serve on the board. Democrat Joan Keppler ran unopposed and will fill a vacant four-year term on the board, while Republican Colleen Thompson defeated Democrat John Varas and will serve as an alternate.

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