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STAMFORD, Conn. While many will be discussing the presidential race in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 6 election, Stamford voters also have several local issues to decide as well.
The Board of Education has three open seats. Board President Polly Rauh, a Democrat, and Republicans Jerry Pia and Lorraine Olsen run for re-election. Challengers include Democrats Delores Burgess and Eva Padilla as well as Republican Jonathon Hoch. Voters can choose any three candidates on the ballot.
This year, Stamford residents also have to decide whether to support or turn down the proposed changes to the citys Charter. There are nine questions people will vote on individually.
The questions are as follows as they appear on the Board of Representatives website:
1) Revise the Charter to make certain technical, grammatical, administrative and procedural changes and revisions.
2) Revise the Charter to create a single combined Fire Department, including the following:
? Creating a single Fire Department composed of career and volunteer firefighters with a single chief and single fire marshal.
? Creating the positions of assistant fire chief for career services and assistant fire chief for volunteer services.
? Acknowledging that the volunteer departments are an important component of the new combined fire department.
3) Revise the Charter to establish, by Charter, the Water Pollution Control Authority and to ensure the provisions concerning the WPCA to comply with state law.
4) Revise the Charter to create a Historic Preservation Advisory Commission.
5) Create, by Charter, a Board of Ethics and mandate a City Code of Ethics.
6) Revise the Charter to clarify that the Board of Finances authority is limited to fiscal matters only.
7) Revise the Charter to limit the service of any one individual to a single elected position, excluding constables.
8) Revise the Charter to add a preamble to the Charter concerning citizens rights.
9) Revise the Charter to change the term of office for constable from two years to four years.
The state representative and senate seats in Stamford are also up for grabs. The races are:
Senate District 36: Incumbent L. Scott Frantz, R, vs. Dan Dauplaise, D;
Senate District 27: Incumbent Carlo Leone, D, vs. Barry Michelson, R;
House District 144: Incumbent Michael Molgano, R, vs. Michael Pollard, D;
House District 145: Incumbent Patricia Billie Miller, D, vs. Francky Trofort, R;
House District 146: Incumbent Gerald Fox III, D, vs. Eva Maldonado, R;
House District 147: Incumbent William Tong, D, vs. Joe S. Tarzia, R;
House District 148: Incumbent Dan Fox, D, vs. Philip Balestriere, R; and
House District 149: Incumbent Livvy Floren, R, vs. John Blankley, D.
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