Farmington Democratic Town Committee members and friends,
Please read our statement below on the January, 2, 2024 Town Council meeting and Republican-led Town Council’s decision on the appointment of the vacancy on the Board of Education. To view the video of the Town Council meeting, please click here.
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The Farmington Democratic Town Committee strongly condemns the Republican-led Town Council’s decision to deny the Farmington Democrats’ recommended nominee, Matt Hutvagner, for the open Democratic seat on the Farmington Board of Education. Tradition and precedent in Farmington dictate that a vacated position of an elected official be filled by the recommended candidate of the party that holds the seat. What the Farmington Republicans did during the January 2nd Town Council meeting ignored precedent, any sense of fairness and the will of Farmington voters who elected a Democrat into that position. This decision was made without discussion or debate during the public meeting. In addition to blocking the Democrat-recommended candidate, they went so far as to install an individual never discussed with any Democratic Town Council member or leadership of the Farmington Democratic Town Committee. Their hand-picked Democrat has been a longtime financial supporter of the local Republican party and state Republican candidates – someone more aligned with the Republican party than his declared party of affiliation.
During their recent campaign, Farmington Republicans declared priorities of bipartisanship, community building and Farmington’s best long-term interests. Fast forward just a few short months to the January 2 Town Council meeting to see the actions that make those words seem empty – political partisanship in service of cheap ploys, closed-door deal-making instead of open public discussion and debate. It is unacceptable that the Town Council Republicans decided to start the new term playing partisan political games with the public school system Farmington residents and the Farmington Democrats hold in such high regard. Farmington residents placed a Democrat on the Board of Education, and Republicans leveraging their idea of a Democrat acceptable to their partisan priorities into that position with neither the advice nor consent of the party that rightfully holds the seat demonstrates the real values they hold.
The Farmington Democrats stand for transparent government, open and honest public discussions and putting Farmington’s best interests first.
Scott Halstead
Secretary, Farmington Democratic Town Committee
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