Asked if he was surprised, Republican party chairman James Baldwin replied, "I guess. But, I'm thrilled. Of course, I'm surprised."
"I thought we would win a majority back, but I didn't think it would be this convincing," he said.
James Walsh, current minority leader of the Representative Town Meeting was asked if he would run for moderator, now that Republicans have a huge majority (roughly 40 of the total 50 RTM members).
"I'm strongly considering it," Walsh said.
Was he surprised? "Yes, I'd lie if I didn't say that. We had a game plan, but we're surprised by the overwhelming victory and the way the voters spoke," Walsh said.
The District 1 RTM member noted that Republicans swept District 1, 2,3,4, 8, 9, and 10. In Districts 5, 6, and 7, they won some votes and some are contested.
What issues did he think voters considered? "The Board of Selectman's proposed budget increase (last winter) was a number that the Town of Fairfiel could not live with. The Board of Finance had a Republican majority then (5 to 4). It's even greater now. (6 to 3)," said Walsh.
"I think people trusted the Republicans to watch their pocketbook. Taxes was the number one issue," Walsh said.
At this point Board of Finance member Tom Flynn pointed out that First Selectman Ken Flatto had brought in a budget that was a 4.4 percent increase. "We knocked it down to 1.7 percent," Flynn said.
Pam Iacono who was returned to the BOE and was the number one vote-getter for Republicans in the town said to her fellow Republicans, "Thank you, Obama!"
Others would agree. State Senator John McKinney, while saying that the Republicans had really strong candidates, also said that the wins in Connecticut and elsewhere were a reflection of what was happening nationally. He said the national debt had doubled in the last two years. When asked if the federal government shouldn't have spent the stimulus money, he said he thought it might have been misdirected.
Liz Hoffmann, part of the all-Republican sweep in District 8, a district that was all Democratic before, said, "None of us had political experience before. We were just upset about what was going on. When you see the stock market plunge and read about record bonuses, it's nice to take the first step to try and make some changes."
"We've had ten percent tax increases in Fairfield in the last two years," she said, noting that her property value had gone down, but her taxes had gone up.
However, Hoffmann said that a major issue in her district had been the Turner Center, which voters in her district had not wanted. Nonetheless, she said, all the previous Democratic RTM reps had voted for it.
Pam Iacono not only gave credit to the national trend, but said that her win was a validation of the fact that being fiscally responsible and pro-education were not mutually exclusive. "I think the election results showed that, "she said. The main concerns she heard from voters were about re-districting and the budget.
Iacono was the Board of Education representative in the team that recently negotiated a zero percent increase in the contract for the 940 teachers in the school system. Did that help her?
"I think it did. I like to think that the teachers were working with someone they could trust" she said, adding, "The teachers giving us zero percent was a huge concession on their part and I am eternally grateful," she said, adding, They really stepped up to the plate."
Jamie Millington was minority leader in the last RTM session and in was charge of Republican RTM candidates this year. "We had the best candidates we could have had. The town will be well-served because each one of these candidates is so well-qualified."
"Checks and balances have been restored to the Town of Fairfield and we'll make sure that Ken Flatto's budget will be held within reasonable limits," Millington said.
State Representative Tony Hwang was there to celebrate with his fellow Republicans and said that he didn't think the overwhelmingly Republican win was so much a reflection of the national trend as it was of the practices and lack of transparency of the First Selectman, Ken Flatto.
Alexis Harrison who won for District 2, and who was one of eight people who challenged Flatto on his removing Conservation Director Steinke from the Metro Center project, would agree with Hwang. She thought that spending and transparency were big issues. "I hope we can fulfill the trust that the people of Fairfield placed in us. I think we have a lot of work to do. We can't take this for granted. The real work lies ahead," Harrison said.
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