Ansonia Aldermen added two new members Tuesday.
The board elected Martin Dempsey Jr. and Joshua Shuart to fill vacancies in the Fourth and Sixth wards, respectively.
The moves were expected after two months of infighting within the city’s Republican party over who would fill the vacancies — candidates aligned with Mayor David Cassetti or those aligned with Phil Tripp, the president of the Board of Aldermen.
Ultimately Cassetti and Tripp made a deal to get one preferred candidate each on the board — Dempsey for the mayor and Shuart for Tripp.
Click here for more background.
Dempsey, who could not attend Tuesday’s meeting, is the dean of students at Trumbull’s St. Joseph School.
He was nominated during Tuesday’s meeting by Second Ward Alderman Lorie Vaccaro.
Fifth Ward Alderwoman Joan Radin nominated Keith Maynard for the Fourth Ward vacancy.
Dempsey won the vote 7 – 4.
Those voting for Dempsey — Vaccaro, Tripp, Charles Stowe, Anthony Cassetti, Patrick Henri, David Blackwell Jr., and Frank DeLibero.
Those voting for Maynard, who previously served as a Democratic Alderman before serving prison time for a domestic violence conviction — Radin, Randolph Carroll, Joseph Jeanette Jr., and Richard Kaslaitis.
No candidates besides Shuart were nominated in the Sixth Ward, so he was elected unanimously.
Shuart, is an associate professor at Sacred Heart University’s Jack Welch College of Business. He is married with two children, 12 and 9, who attend catholic school.
Valley Indy devotees may remember him from this brilliantly headlined 2012 story in which he related teaching Wiffle Ball to Irish kids while leading a SHU study abroad group.
Originally from Kane, Pennsylvania, he has lived in Ansonia since 2004.
After Tuesday’s meeting Shuart said he became interested in serving after learning about the Aldermanic vacancies.
“I like it here and I want to make it better,” he said.
He said he’s not sure whether he’ll run for a full term on the board next November.
“That I don’t know yet,” Shuart said.
Click play on the video below to see the special meeting.
