JCP announces Candidate for Borough Warden

Founder of Jewett City Party Facing
Petition Deadline to Get on Ballot

By Megan Bard
Published on 1/10/2007 - The Day newspaper

Griswold — For the first time in at least 10 years there might be
competition on the Borough of Jewett City election ballot in May.

As the two major parties schedule their caucuses and candidate
endorsement meetings for the end of the month, a new minority
party is awaiting the necessary paperwork to be recognized by the
state in time for the election.

The Jewett City Party has requested the documentation from the
Secretary of the State's Elections Division. If it is to have any
candidates on the ballot, the party must register with the state in the
coming weeks and have its candidates submit petitions to the
elections division by 4 p.m. Feb. 6.

Although he has yet to receive the paperwork, party founder and
borough resident Ron Ward said Tuesday evening that he is
confident he'll be able to achieve both goals.

“I believe that a Jewett City Party is needed to give a broad-based
opportunity for the residents and taxpayers to be involved in their
borough government,” he said. “By forming the party, there is a
permanent organization in place that can do the work to organize
and address issues in this borough.”

Unlike running as an unaffiliated petitioning candidate — a
candidate who circulates a petition and submits it to the municipal
clerk before a specific deadline to be on the ballot — minority party
candidates require additional documentation.

First, before petition papers can be released by the state, the
minority party must be registered so that party's name is printed on
the petitions. Once the petitions are circulated and submitted back
to the state, the new party's charter members or endorsement
committee must send letters to the state verifying that the
candidates are running on the party line.

The deadline for the Jewett City Party endorsement letters is March
13. In addition to founding the party, Ward also said he will be its
top candidate.

Ward intends to challenge incumbent Warden Cynthia Kata, a
Democrat, for the chief elected officer position she's held since
2003. He also intends to find candidates to run for the four available
burgess seats and possibly other positions including borough
treasurer, clerk, tax collector and bailiff.

“The Jewett City Party will give the people a candidate on the ballot
who is not beholden to either a Democrat or the Republican
parties,” Ward said.

The two majority parties — Democrats and Republicans — must
endorse their candidates at a caucus between Jan. 15 and Jan. 22.
Democratic Town Committee Chairman Richard Duda said the
committee is expected to endorse its incumbents at its Jan. 17
meeting. The only exception will be retiring borough Tax Collector
Virginia Hoddy. In her place the committee is expected to endorse
current assistant tax collector Leona Sharkey.

“We've got a good ticket, and we're confident the voters will re-elect
them,” Duda said Tuesday. “We have a good record and have
managed the borough government well.”

Kata said she will accept the party endorsement because after more
than 23 years of involvement in the borough — she started as the
assessor — she is not ready to retire.

“I've been through a lot with the borough and still have a lot to give,”
she said Tuesday evening.

The Republican Town Committee has yet to scheduled its caucus.