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Date: 4/27/2022
TOLLAND – Nearly a half-century after showing up at a town caucus and letting himself be talked into running for selectman, Eric Munson Jr. made local history on April 19 by attending the caucus and keeping quiet.
Munson won’t be a candidate for selectman in 2022, ending a 48-year tenure on the town’s executive board. Instead, the caucus nominated Ed Deming, a Tolland native who recently retired as the town’s police chief and highway superintendent.
“I think he’ll do a good job,” Munson said of his likely successor. “He knows two of the departments very well.”
Looking back at 48 years in office, Munson said he feels honored to have served with “some very good people” and to have helped manage several projects that benefited the town, including the construction of the Public Safety Complex. For several years, Munson has served as chair of the Board of Selectmen.
Munson said he and his wife were new in town in the 1970s when they were encouraged by friends to attend the town caucus. Munson had his eye on a run for moderator – the presiding officer at Town Meeting – but was convinced by townspeople to instead fill a vacancy on the Board of Selectmen, a much larger commitment.
“I said I’d try it,” he said. “I tried it.”
Deming said he would have considered a run for selectman even if Munson hadn’t planned to step aside. After 31 years on the Police Department, including the past eight as chief, he said he isn’t ready to retire completely from public service.
“I have to be doing something,” Deming said. “I still want to be involved in the town.”
Deming was nominated with no opposition, as were the other candidates who will appear on the town’s May 24 ballot. Although the caucus could have nominated two candidates, only one name was put forward for each seat. Incumbents on the ballot will include Margaret McClellan for three-year terms as both treasurer and tax collector; Susan Voudren for a three-year term as town clerk; Susan Moore for a three-year term as assessor; and Andrea DeSanto for a three-year term as library trustee.
For a five-year term on the Planning Board, caucus members nominated Addy Overbeeke, whose term they believed to be expiring this year. The Planning Board was meeting at the time and its members were not able to attend the caucus. As Overbeeke’s seat is not up for re-election this year, the nomination is invalid and no candidate will be listed on the ballot. Town officials said they expect James Deming, the incumbent whose term does expire this year, will be re-elected via write-ins.
Voting will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 24 in the Public Safety Complex, 206 W. Granville Road, Tolland. The last day to register to vote is May 4.