Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Phil Wilhelmy at Wilhelmy's campaign announcement.
SEYMOUR – A retired Metro-North manager with a long history of public service was officially endorsed by town Democrats to run for First Selectman.
Phil Wilhelmy III, 60, a 1981 graduate of Seymour High School, is also the chairman of the Seymour Town Democratic Committee, a position he’s held since 2020.
Wilhelmy said the Democrats have been trying to get new members – something they have accomplished. He said they wanted to run a full slate of candidates – something that is now happening.
He said the Democrats have not fielded a top-of-the-ticket candidate since 2015 – and that giving voters a choice is a foundation of democracy.
“I’m very excited. Having a full slate is the most important thing. We have an incredible amount of diversity on that slate, and there is a great transition of knowledge and experience going back and forth,” Wilhelmy said.
Background
Wilhelmy grew up in Seymour, first on Meadow Street, and then, in the third grade, a house on Maple Street where he lives to this day.
His father, Philip Jr., worked for Suburban Propane while his mother, Vera, worked as a nurse’s aid at Griffin Hospital. He has two sisters.
“Seymour was unique in the fact that everybody knew everybody. It was a town where everyone worked everything out personally. It was the real essence of community,” Wilhelmy said. “Everybody banded together. It was just a great small town to grow up in. It is just a wonderful place. My heart is here and it’s never left.”
After high school Wilhelmy attended two years at Eastern Connecticut State University, but left when a job opportunity arose at Metro-North Railroad. He sought counsel with his parents before making the leap.
“I had family on the railroad, even before it was Metro-North, when it was Penn Central. So when the opportunity for the railroad came up in discussion with my family, they were not disappointed if I took the path toward the railroad – as long as I gave it 100 percent,” Wilhelmy said. “There were a lot of opportunities going into the railroad, a lot of opportunities for advancement.”
Employment
Wilhelmy worked for Metro-North from 1986 until 2019, rising through the ranks from tower operator on the New Haven line all the way to assistant deputy of operations at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.
Metro-North has 5,000 employees and some 52 million riders per year. It’s part of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the largest transit agency in the U.S.
Metro-North and the MTA form the backbone of getting things done in the New York City metropolitan area. There were tons of moving parts, both figuratively and literally, for Wilhelmy to handle.
“The stress was ridiculous, especially as I climbed over the years. The weather was always a huge thing, whether it was too hot or too cold,” Wilhelmy said. “At any one time you have a few hundred trains moving in both directions, and little things can turn into big things. So, yes, you needed to be able to manage stress in management positions.”
Despite commuting from Seymour to Manhattan, Wilhelmy has always remained active in community affairs while raising three children with his wife, Maureen.
“My wife also worked for the railroad. She is the most organized person in the world, and was able to plan things down to the minute. So she got us through working full-time and raising the kids,” Wilhelmy said.
Government
Currently Wilhelmy is serving on the Seymour Board of Selectmen, having filled the vacancy created after Selectman Christopher Bowen moved out of town.
“I’ve always stayed involved in something, starting 30 years ago. I’ve always been on some kind of board or commission,” Wilhelmy said.
Wilhelmy said he views local politics as community service, something he learned from his parents growing up.
Seymour is a predominantly Republican town, and there has not been a Democrat in the First Selectman’s seat since 2011.
Wilhelmy said he wants voters to get informed before they head to the polls in November, and to not vote blindly based on political affiliation.
“This is a small town of 16,000 people. Voting by party line is doing the community a disservice. You need to be plugged in, informed, and make good choices,” Wilhelmy said.
If Elected
To that end, Wilhelmy said if elected, he will improve transparency and communication between the local government and residents.
Wilhelmy said there’s too much bad information circulating on social media, and that he hopes to do a better job getting the message out.
“When I speak as a First Selectman candidate, I don’t want you to hear what I have to say. I want to hear what you have to say,” Wilhelmy said.
Wilhelmy counted Paul Roy, Fred Stanek, Colleen Fries, and Theresa Conroy as mentors from the local political season.
Conroy said Wilhelmy’s long history of local involvement coupled with his work history make him a great candidate. She acknowledged the Democrats have a hill to climb, but said that Wilhelmy is the person to lead.
“Seymour has been a challenge for Democrats to win majority elections for years. However, residents have been increasingly discouraged with the way that the leadership of Seymour has been running the town,” Conroy said. “Our taxes go up, town hall has expanded with new jobs and titles are given to employees along with salary increases, and yet, we have not gotten anything more from these expenditures. Seymour residents will now have a choice: stay the same with the same administration or support Phil and his team to move our community forward.”
Stephan Behuniak, a Democrat on the Seymour Board of Education, said Wilhelmy is a hard worker.
“Phil has a contagious enthusiasm. He will inspire people to work hard to make Seymour the best it can be,” Behuniak said. “He sets big goals and successfully completes them. His excitement and drive along with many years of experience make him a great candidate for First Selectman.”
Here is the list of candidates the Democrats are running:
First Selectman
Phil Wilhelmy III
Board of Selectpersons
Theresa Conroy
Brianna Girard
Tom LaPaglia
Fred Stanek
Board of Finance
Carol Mordowanec
Joseph Niezelski
Bill Sawicki
Board of Finance Alternate
Genevieve Ard
Michael Flynn
Tracy Rappa
Board of Education
James Garofolo
Kristen Harmeling
Board of Assessment Appeals
Kevin Atterberry
Saundra Gesek
Planning and Zoning
Patrick Lampart
Brian Maloney
Sam Mirlis
Board of Police Commissioners
Colleen Fries
Steve Kulas
Maureen Wilhelmy
Board of Library Trustees
Barbara Gunn
Monika Szirtes
Jean Uhelsky
