GOP Announces School Board Resignation,

Probate Candidate

By John Voket

After months of unconfirmed reports regarding the rumored departure of a Board of Education member, the Newtown Republican Town Committee held a special meeting Thursday, June 11, to consider a replacement for Kathleen Christie, as well as to propose a Judge of Probate candidate for an upcoming special election.

The first nomination was necessitated by a recent announcement that Ms Christie will be resigning her seat on the Board of Education, effective June 24, in preparation for a family move to Europe.

The Candidates’ Committee recommended Debbie Leidlein be nominated for consideration by the Board of Education to fill the vacancy of Ms Christie for the balance of her term. Ms Leidlein has worked in education her entire career, has children in the Newtown Public School System, is involved in PTA, and is working to start an Education Foundation in Newtown.

Ms. Leidlein’s nomination was put to a membership vote and passed unanimously, according to RTC secretary Mitchell Bolinsky.

The second nomination was prompted by a statutory retirement regarding Newtown’s Probate Judge Margot Hall, who will be required to step down when she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70. As a result, there will be a special off-term election this November for Judge of Probate.

Additionally, due to the state’s new probate reform statutes passed this year and going into effect in 2010, there will be a new requirement for Judges of Probate to have a law degree. According to State Representative DebraLee Hovey, the new probate law had passed both the house and the senate and the governor is expected to sign it.

According to the release, State Senator John McKinney joined Rep Hovey with the support of Democratic Representative Chris Lyddy in pursuing and winning an amendment to the bill permitting Newtown to elect a Judge of Probate in this November’s special election. The bipartisan effort resulted in Newtown not only maintaining the Probate Court’s uninterrupted service, but positioned Newtown to be a possible hub for several regional communities as mandated consolidation of probate courts in Connecticut moves forward.

The Candidates’ Committee recommended attorney Moira Rodgers be nominated to run in the November special election for Newtown’s Judge of Probate. Ms. Rodgers is a longtime volunteer on countless committees and commissions in Newtown, serving with, in the words of past RTC Chairman Jim Smith, “extraordinary passion and caring for our community.”

Ms Rodgers’ nomination was put to a membership vote and passed.

In the release, the RTC also recognized the work of longtime court clerk Peggy Jepson, who along with Judge Hall, was credited for maintaining a “efficient, caring and well-run court.” During the RTC meeting, Ms Jepson was nominated for the Probate Judge post by former state rep and town clerk Mae Schmidle according to other RTC sources, but did not receive majority support from the rank and file members.

On Wednesday, June 24, the RTC expects to announce its full slate to membership at large, to be followed by a series of votes supporting the Candidates’ Committee recommendations on its roster of electoral vacancies, as well as incumbents being supported for reelection, according to Mr Bolinsky.

“Even though there may be a surprise or two, we expect widespread RTC support for the recommended slate,” he said in the release.