Bethel Election 2025 Voter Guide: Meet The Candidates

BETHEL, CT — On Nov. 4, Bethel residents cast their votes for several key municipal positions in town. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming municipal election.

Election Day polling hours and locations

Polls in Connecticut are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can use the Secretary of State’s website to find your polling place. Voters who are in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Same day voter registration

If you are not registered, but want to vote on Election Day, you may register in person on Election Day at your Election Day Registration site People must be registered by 8 p.m. in order to vote using Election Day registration.

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Here are the local candidates and town charter amendments on the ballot:

First Selectman (Vote for One)

Democrat: Tom Borysiewicz
Republican, Independent: Dan Carter

Selectman (Vote for One)

Democrat: Penny Kessler
Republican, Independent: Bryan Terzian

Town Clerk (Vote for One)

Democrat, Republican, Independent: Lisa Bergh

Town Treasurer (Vote for One)

Democrat: Matthew Knickerbocker
Republican, Independent: Paul Szatkowski

Board of Finance (Vote for Up to Four)

Democrat: Pat Cosentino, James Keene, Jessica Ferguson, Karen Foster
Republican, Independent: Bill Slifkin, Michael Duff, James Hancock, John Lennon

Board of Education - Full Term (Vote for Up to Four)

Democrat: Gabriela Hernandez, Kara DiBartolo, Jen Larsen, Lauren Shekar
Republican, Independent: Pat Rist

Board of Education To Fill Vacancy for Two Years (Vote for Up to Two)

Democrat: Brenda Reed, Jane Gangi
Republican, Independent: Jeffrey Spies, Anthony Cassio

Board of Assessment Appeals (Vote for Up to Two)

Democrat: Bobbi Lyon, Marissa Allen-Amundsen
Republican, Independent: Bruce Cornwell, Kate Jordan

Planning & Zoning Commission (Vote for Up to Three)

Democrat: Molly Dorries, Danny Serencsics, Erik Brudvig
Republican, Independent: Jeffrey DeRosa, Kitty Grant, Diane Ryan

Planning & Zoning Commission Alternate - Full Term (Vote for One)

Democrat: Steve Twitchel
Republican, Independent: Frances Pulle

Planning & Zoning Commission Alternate To Fill Vacancy for Two Years (Vote for One)

Democrat: Cindy Slater
Republican, Independent: Tom Davies

Zoning Board of Appeals (Vote for Up to Three)

Democrat: Denise Farren, Brianna Ferraro, Jackie Mustakas
Republican, Independent: Jay R. Streaman, Douglas Cuny, Kristin Fedders

Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate (Vote for One)

Democrat: Myra Drucker

Inland Wetland Commission Full Term (Vote for Up to Three)

Democrat: Pat Perrefort, Chris Mustakas, Nico Jordan
Republican, Independent: Terry Rotella, Kevin Seaman, Paul Shanley, Jr

Inland Wetlands Commission To Fill Vacancy for Two Years (Vote for One)

Democrat: Karolyn Baumgartner, Mary Straniti-Thompson
Republican, Independent: Nicholas Saccomani

Police Commission (Vote for Up to Three)

Democrat: Michael Vlash, Pat Morton, Sean Ferguson
Republican, Independent: Richard Kolwicz, Kevin Cleary

Question 1 (Vote Yes or No): Shall §C3-4.A. of the Charter of Bethel, among other items, be amended or provisions added to provide for a three (3) member Board of Selectmen consisting of a First Selectman and two (2) Selectmen with elected terms of four (4) years each as set forth in the proposed Charter Amendments finalized by the Board of Selectmen on August 5th, 2025 and filed in the office of the Bethel Town Clerk?

Question 2 (Vote Yes or No): Shall §C6-8. of the Charter of Bethel, among other items, be amended or provisions added to require any proposed capital expenditure of one million dollars ($1,000,000.) or more, except capital utility projects that are funded exclusively through user fees, grants and/or loans, to be submitted to the persons qualified to vote thereon for a vote by voting machine, and capital utility projects, as described herein, that have proposed capital expenditures of two million dollars ($2,000,000.) or more shall be submitted to the persons qualified to vote thereon for a vote by voting machine as set forth in the proposed Charter Amendments finalized by the Board of Selectmen on August 5th, 2025 and filed in the office of the Bethel Town Clerk?

Question 3 (Vote Yes or No): Shall §C2-5.B.; C3-3.A.; C7-1.C., C7-2.B., and C7-5A. & B. of the Charter of Bethel, among other items, be amended or provisions added to require that no employee of the town
may serve on the Planning and Zoning Commission except as authorized ex officio non-voting members as per the Connecticut General Statutes; require that members of the Board of Finance to not concurrently serve on an elected or appointed municipal board or commission during their time in office; to provide for a process for the Board of Selectmen or Boards and Commissions to fill vacancies after sixty (60) days; to provide a process for members of appointed boards to resign, cease to be a member when they are no longer a resident elector, and removal by the Board of Selectmen for cause as set forth in the proposed Charter Amendments finalized by the Board of Selectmen on
August 5th, 2025 and filed in the office of the Bethel Town Clerk?

Question 4 (Vote Yes or No): Shall §C2-5.A.; C3-2.; C3-3.A.; C4-1.B.; C5-3.; C5-4.B.(1) & (2); C8-1.C.; C8-7.; C8-9.; C8-11.B.; C8-13.C.(3); and C9-3. of the Charter of Bethel, among other items, be amended to use "they," "them," or "their" when referring to a board, commission, or person as set forth in the proposed Charter Amendments finalized by the Board of Selectmen on August 5th, 2025 and filed in the office of the Bethel Town Clerk?

Question 5 (Vote Yes or No): Shall §C2-5.B.; C3-3.C.; C3-12.; C4-7.E.; C6-2.; C6-3.A.(1), (2), (3), (4), & (5); C6-3.B.(1) & (3); C6-3.C.(1); C7-1.A., B. & C.; C7-2.B.; C7-3.; C7-7. & C7-7.A.; C8-2.A.; C8-6.A.; C9-4.B.; C10-2.F.; C10-9.; and C11-1. of the Charter of Bethel, among other items, be amended to make punctuation corrections and minor technical changes as set forth in the proposed Charter Amendments finalized by the Board of Selectmen on August 5th, 2025 and filed in the office of the Bethel Town Clerk?

Question 6 (Vote Yes or No): Shall §C4-4.B. & D.; C4-5.A.; C6-1.C.; C6-2.; C6-3.A.(1) & B.(1); C6-5.B. & E.; C8-13.C.(4)(i). & (4)(ii); C10-2.E., F., & G.; and C10-4.A. of the Charter of Bethel, among other items, be amended or provisions added to change references to the Annual Town Budget Meeting to the Annual Town Meeting and allow transaction of business in addition to the budget; require the Annual Town Meeting be held on one (1) of the first fourteen (14) days of April, at the discretion of the Board of Selectmen; provide that the Town Clerk shall automatically serve as secretary at town meetings and recommend a replacement; require the Board of Finance to hold one (1) or more public hearings on the general town budget report not less than seven (7) days or more than fourteen (14)
days before the Annual Town Meeting; require the Board of Selectmen to set budget and special referendum machine votes not less than 10 or more than 15 days excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, and set times of referendum from 6 am to 8 pm; require notices of hearings and other required legal advertisements in the charter to appear in a newspaper having a general circulation in the town or another medium consistent with the requirements of the Connecticut General Statutes; authorize the Town of Bethel, the Procurement Committee and/or the Board of Education to use a purchasing cooperative in lieu of the a bidding process in order to lower costs, so long as such use of a purchasing cooperative complies with the provisions of this Charter and the laws of the State of Connecticut as set forth in the proposed Charter Amendments finalized by the Board of Selectmen on August 5th, 2025 and filed in the office of the Bethel Town Clerk?

Question 7 (Vote Yes or No): Shall §C8-1.A.; C8-3.A. & B.; C8-4.A. & B.; C8-5.A & B.; C8-6.B.; C8-9.; C8-13., C8-13.A., C8-13.B(1) & (2), C8-13.C.(1) & (3), C8-13.C.(4)(ii), C8-13.D., E., F., & G.; C8-14.; C8-15.; and C8-16. of the Charter of Bethel, among other items, be amended or provisions added to provide for the following administrative officers and departments: Finance Director; Tax Collector; Assessor; Emergency Management Director; Director of Health; Fire Marshal; Building Official; Planning and Zoning Official; Town Counsel; Town Engineer; and Economic Development Director, the Department of Public Works, Police Department, Department of Public Utilities, Department of Economic Development, and Information Technology Department; provide for a process for removal of a Tax Collector, Emergency Management Director, or Town Sanitarian by the Board of Selectmen for good cause; and provide for a process for removal of a Tax Assessor by the Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen for good cause as set forth in the proposed Charter Amendments finalized by the Board of Selectmen on August 5th, 2025 and filed in the office of the Bethel Town Clerk?

Question 8 (Vote Yes or No): Shall §C3-6.; C7-11.A.; C7-15.A.; C9-1.D. & E.; and C11-11. of the Charter of Bethel, among other items, be amended or provisions added to provide for a Public Utilities Commission consisting of seven (7) members, three (3) of which shall be from the Board of Selectmen, including the First Selectman; require that the Board of Education and Insurance Pension Commission members serve overlapping terms; provide for an opportunity for the public to speak at the start of all regular meetings of all elected and appointed boards, commissions and committees, except for those regular meetings where any public hearings appear on the meeting agenda; adopt Robert's Rules of Order as the official rules procedure for elected and appointed boards; require all regularly scheduled and/or special meetings of elected and appointed boards and commissions
to take place at the Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center or a town owned facility accessible to members of the public, with exceptions for site inspections as set forth in the proposed Charter Amendments finalized by the Board of Selectmen on August 5th, 2025 and filed in the office of the Bethel Town Clerk?

Here's the complete Bethel election ballot, as prepared by the Connecticut Secretary of the State.