Many Elected, Appointed Officials Did Not Vote at Referendum

Many of the same people who spend several hours pouring over budget numbers for the borough and its educational system did not vote in Tuesday's budget referendum.

A review of voting lists from the referendum show that five of 12 appointed Board of Finance members and alternates did not vote; five of eight Board of Education members did not vote and two of nine burgesses did not vote. Mayor Bob Mezzo, who is on all three boards, did vote. And of the three other top elected officials, one of them - Tax Collector Jim Goggin - did not vote. 

Naugatuck Patch attempted to contact all of the people who did not vote to ask their reasons. Some say they were simply caught up with work or out of town and didn't think to get an absentee ballot. Others, however, said their non-votes were deliberate: they did not agree with the referendum process, thought the budget was fair and tried to keep the voting numbers down so that there would be less than 15 percent turnout and therefore the results would not count. That, in fact, is exactly what happened.

Both registrars of voters in Naugatuck said they were disappointed that people chose not to vote.

"I think that every vote counts and that everybody should vote," said Democratic Registrar Louise Sheedy. "I applaud those people who did vote."

Republican Registrar Janice Dambowsky agreed.

"I think that our forefathers fought for us to have the freedom to vote, and people should exercise that right," she said. "I think that if people felt the budget was good, then they should have voted 'yes.'" 

Here are those who voted and did not from the boards of finance, mayor and burgesses and education. Click here to see some of the explanations about why they didn't vote. 

Board of Mayor and Burgesses (Elected)

Burgesses Who Voted  
Tamath K. Rossi, deputy mayor
Robert Burns
Michael Bronko
Catherine Ernsky
Laurie Taf Jackson
Robert Neth
Ronald S. San Angelo

Burgesses Who Did Not Vote
Mike Ciacciarella
Patrick Scully

Board of Education (Elected) 

Those Who Voted
Dorothy Neth-Kunin
Glenn Connan
Diana Malone

Those Who Did Not Vote
Dave Heller, chair
Ricky Vitale
Jim Jordan
Jim Scully
Scott Slauson 

Board of Finance (appointed) 
Those Who Voted
Andy Bottinick
Matt Katra
Jenn Merrill
Al Pistarelli
Dan Sheridan 
Kim Kiernan (alternate)
Samantha Stirk (alternate) 

Those Who Did Not Vote
Diane Scinto, chair
Jack Tavares
Tony Campbell
Julie Branco Sampaio
Wayne McAllister (alternate) 

Other Top Elected Officials
Tax Collector Jim Goggin - did not vote
Town Clerk Michelle Dowling - voted 
State Rep. Rosa Rebimbas - voted 
State Rep. David K. Labriola does not live in the Naugatuck voting district