Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder Runs For Reelection

Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder is running again. On Monday, the Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee nominated Reemsnyder for a second term. Reemsnyder was first elected to the top spot in 2011 after serving on the Board of Selectmen for eight years. 

In 2011, Reemsnyder pledged to make town government more transparent, be fiscally conservative, and identified Sound View beach and services for seniors as areas that needed more attention from the town. Since taking office, she has taken steps to address those issues.

In an effort to keep residents informed, Reemsnyder writes a monthly newsletter detailing everything the town does and makes a point to hold multiple public hearings on the town's biggest projects to give residents regular updates and an opportunity to ask questions.  

Sound View has been a top priority. On Reemsnyder's watch, the town applied for and was awarded a grant from the Department of Transportation to improve the town's beach area, with plans in the works to construct permanent bathrooms, transform the parking, create a park and pavilion and a bicycle path to link to public transportation. 

The town's budget, under the steady guidance of the Board of Finance, has also been kept virtually flat. The budget passed for Fiscal Year 2013/2014 was just $169,825 more than the budget approved last fiscal year, resulting in a marginal increase in the mill rate from 19.26 to 19.30 mills.

Reemsnyder, who was on the Lymes' Senior Center Board of Directors when she ran for First Selectwoman in 2011, continues to take an active interest in the Senior Center, which now has a new coordinator.

"There are a lot of projects that we're working on," said Reemsnyder. "We just got the STEAP grant for the boat house. We have our wastewater management study we’re looking at wastewater management in the shore area. Sound View, we’ve been working on that. There’s plenty of work to be done and I’d like the opportunity to complete it."

The committee also nominated incumbent Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal for another term. Nosal has also taken a very active role in the Sound View improvement project, acting as a liaison between the Board of Selectmen and the Sound View Commission. Nosal was first elected to the board in 2011 and Reemsnyder couldn't be happier that she is also going to be running again.

"Mary Jo has been very supportive," said Reemsnyder. "She has worked very, very hard, is always out there trying to get people involved to serve on boards and commissions. She has supported my efforts 100 percent. She’s very open and available to people and I’m delighted to have her running with me as well."

Their combined efforts to reach out to people and to build better relationships with the town's residents, with other governing bodies, and with the schools was a goal both Nosal and Reemsnyder set when they ran for election in 2011.   

"We're really developing good collaboration and relationships with schools and our seasonal residents," said Reemsnyder. "I think we’ve worked well together and I think we’ve come a ways on that."

Other Candidates In The Running 

Board of Education: Nancy Lucas Edson, Rick Goulding, Diane Linderman, Sarah Smalley, Jean Wilczynski. 

Board of Assessment Appeals: George Finley

Board of Finance: Bennett Bernblum (alternate)

Planning Commission: Edgar Butcher

Zoning Commission: Gil Soucie

Zoning Board of Appeals: Mary Stone