“Above and beyond in every manner”: On Eve of First Selectman Transition, Vanderslice is Praised for Skilled Leadership & Fiscal Management in Two Terms (and One Pandemic)

First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice‘s second term in office is rapidly coming to a close, with her successor, Toni Boucher, to be sworn in on Wednesday, Nov. 29.

Over the last several days, officials from various Town departments, boards and commissions have taken the opportunity to reflect on and thank Vanderslice for her service, whether in public statements they’ve made in recent meetings or in response to questions from GMW.

Gov. Ned Lamont also publicly acknowledged her achievements, in an official statement personally delivered by Rep. Keith Denning and Sen. Ceci Maher, along with recognition from the leaders of the Connecticut General Assembly.

All of their comments reveal common themes about Vanderslice’s extraordinary commitment and dedication to the Town, and their respect for her acumen and leadership.

Board of Finance Vice Chair Stewart Koenigsberg conveyed his thoughts most succinctly:

“Lynne has been an exceptional first selectperson,” he wrote to GMW. “She has gone above and beyond in every manner serving Wilton.”

At the Nov. 20 Board of Selectmen meeting, Second Selectman Josh Cole thanked Vanderslice for her eight years of service — calling it “a privilege” to have served along with her and to have witnessed her commitment to the Town — and gave particular praise to Vanderslice for her leadership in what is perhaps the most defining moment of her tenure.

Meeting The Moment: COVID-19

When Vanderslice decided to run for a second term in 2019, she surely felt confident about what to expect — but with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, many plans and priorities were sidelined.

Recalling the chaotic early days of the pandemic, Cole compared Vanderslice to a war-time president.

“We were the first town with a reported COVID case in the entire state, so we were the epicenter of that from the beginning. Your leadership during those dark days… I’ve compared you previously to a war-time president and that’s exactly what you were for the Town. You led us through the darkness. Your updates and communications during that time period [were] a lifeline for a lot of people that felt isolated and scared and afraid. That was something you didn’t sign up for in your second term,” Cole said.

Board of Finance Chair Mike Kaelin highlighted the same point in an email to GMW:

“Lynne led us through the most difficult period in town any first selectman has ever had to lead us through. When we were all told to stay at home in March of 2020 due to COVID, Lynne went into action. She marshaled the resources and information we needed to get us through all the fear and uncertainty. [Her] updates during the height of the pandemic assured us we were going to be okay because we had someone who knew what they were doing and would do it to get us through the pandemic… Lynne is the one who marshaled the resources, informed us what we needed to do, and assured us everything was going to be ok. That is what leaders do, and Lynne is among the best.” 

The proof, Kaelin says, is the number of new residents who have come to Wilton since the pandemic, and the growing presence of ASML and other economic interests.

Long-Haul Priorities, with Financial Discipline

Notwithstanding the derailing impact of the pandemic, Vanderslice has been steadfast in her priorities and vision for the Town. GMW coverage as far back as 2016 shows Vanderslice’s pursuit of many of the same goals she continued to pursue right up to the end of her term. To cite just a few:

• advocating for greater housing diversity in Wilton
• seeking ways to provide greater access to (and better conditions at) Wilton’s athletic fields
• improving Schenck’s Island, Merwin Meadows and the Norwalk River Valley Trail
• encouraging volunteerism on Wilton’s boards and commissions
• cleaning up blight
• promoting economic development

In addition to a longterm plan for improving Wilton roads and bridges, Vanderslice oversaw the completion of the Miller-Driscoll and Comstock Community Center renovations. She then undertook a strategic assessment for the planning of improvements and upgrades at Wilton’s school buildings and municipal buildings — plans that are just now coming into view. More broadly, Vanderslice made infrastructure a top priority, in part fueled by millions of dollars Wilton received from ARPA and other federal sources.

Her strong professional background and many years of serving on Wilton’s Board of Finance were among her most relevant qualifications for the Office of First Selectman. When she ran for the office in 2015, she said, “I have spent seven years looking at the Town’s actual spending. I know areas where the budget can be reduced.”

Throughout her two terms, she worked to ensure Wilton maintained Moody’s highest Aaa credit rating and consistently delivered BOS budgets with very modest increases.

At last May’s Annual Town Meeting, Vanderslice highlighted the fact that the average annual increase in the BOS budget was just 0.46% over the last four years, and 0.79% over her eight years in office.

“Reimagined Government”

Modest budgets are one thing, but Vanderslice doesn’t want to be remembered for austerity. When a BOF official recently complimented Vanderslice on her achievements but implied she had been hindered by meager budgets, Vanderslice did not let the comments stand.

“I don’t think that’s accurate. We changed the way we did municipal government. We consolidated positions where they could be consolidated. We added technology where it never was before. We modernized government. We moved to the state health plan. That saved us $700,000 the first year which we spread over two years… The departments have done so much work to think about how we can do government differently and still deliver the same services. We’ve added some positions, we brought back a [parks and grounds] position that was eliminated at the time of the recession. On the municipal side, collectively as a team, everyone has done a great job to reduce government and reduce the cost of government… we’ve made improvements.”

BOF Chair Kaelin credited Vanderslice with having the vision to reimagine the Town government.

“She ran for First Selectwoman because she saw a need that she could serve,” Kaelin wrote to GMW. “During her eight years in office, she reimagined, reshaped, and right-sized the town government.”

Grants, Grants, Grants

By Vanderslice’s count, Wilton has secured almost $31 million in grants since 2019. That unprecedented sum is the result of a concerted effort she has pushed to seek grants to help fund some of Wilton’s largest projects — for example, nearly $1.5 million for flood remediation work at the Wilton High School sports complex and $500,000 for the carport at the new Police Department headquarters — as well as highly desirable amenities, like the expansion of the Norwalk River Valley Trail, for which Wilton secured over $3 million in grants.

Vanderslice has emphasized that grants not only provide funding but translate to significant savings on the Town’s debt service costs in lieu of borrowing. In the FY2024 budget planning process, she noted that the effect of grants awarded to the Town would reduce debt service costs by $1.8 million in the current fiscal year.

Redefining Leadership Roles

In reimagining the Town’s government, Vanderslice redefined the role of the first selectman in 2022, by strongly advocating for the creation of a new position, the town administrator.

The position was created in response to the increasing — and evolving — demands on the first selectman’s time. Town Administrator Matt Knickerbocker now manages the day-to-day operations of most of the town’s municipal departments, and will ensure continuity of town operations during the transition of elected leaders. The new position was also intended to free up the first selectman to focus on more longterm, strategic issues.

At the time the new position was created, Vanderslice outlined the positives.

“Residents benefit from a professionally run town; continuity of government; the increased ability of the first selectperson to engage in legislative proposals, state and regional initiatives; and the expansion of the candidate pool for first selectperson.”

In recent years, Vanderslice has been extremely active at the regional level, holding leadership positions at the Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) and advocating for Wilton on numerous issues at the state level, such as proposed housing legislation and the recent commercial blight legislation.

With a surge in interest from developers and pandemic-fueled shifts in residential and commercial real estate trends, Vanderslice also carved her role as economic-developer-in-chief, working closely with Town Planner Michael Wrinn, and taking the Economic Development Commission under her direction.

More Lasting Impacts (Especially Emergency Response)

“You’ve left an indelible mark on this Town and you’ve left the Town in a much better position than when you came in,” Second Selectman Cole recently told Vanderslice. “Thank you for that commitment and all of the hundreds and thousands of hours you put in to make this a better community for all of us.”

One of the most tangible parts of Vanderslice’s legacy — and one in which she has expressed great pride — will be the new police station headquarters, currently in construction.

Vanderslice worked diligently on a campaign to get the project approved by voters. When the long-overdue project was finally passed by voters in May 2022, Vanderslice did not hide her enthusiasm.

“I’m particularly excited about the police headquarters passing and especially with the really strong support, more than 75% of the voters supported that. So I’m really pleased for [all] the members of the department. They really deserve this new headquarters… A lot of thought went into this, but we brought a great proposal and fortunately, the voters recognized that. I do think that there has been so much transparency and information out there on this project. I think that made the difference and we’re really excited.”

As Wilton Police Department Chief Thomas Conlan told GMW, “Lynne has always been a great supporter of the town’s emergency service departments. She recognized the need for a new police headquarters and was instrumental in getting the funds approved for its construction.”  

Wilton Fire Department Chief Jim Blanchfield also sees Vanderslice’s lasting impact on first responders.

“From an emergency services perspective, Lynne and her team’s legacy will be seen long after today in numerous ways, including several much-needed infrastructure projects: an upgraded town-wide communications system, apparatus purchases, and building repairs and replacement.”  

On a more personal note, Blanchfield added, “To me, First Selectwoman Vanderslice’s legacy will be one of a work ethic to be emulated, a real commitment to the people of Wilton, and just good government.” 

For Vanderslice, an important part of “good government” is transparency and communications. She has said she believes residents have come to expect “a 24/7 government and an equally responsive first selectperson, accessible by multiple means of communication.”

In addition to overhauling information available on the Town website, Vanderslice expanded upon her COVID updates into what became regular email updates about all aspects of the Town. Unlike any predecessor, she was also visible on social media.

“From a transparency standpoint, public access to meetings, finding information and engaging the public, we are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were eight years ago,” Cole said.

A stickler for FOIA, Vanderslice has crusaded for better compliance among all of Wilton’s boards and commissions, implementing more vigorous FOIA training and frequently reminding members about conducting their business in public meetings and according to FOIA rules.

Not Without Some Controversy

While Vanderslice can put the new police headquarters in the win column, the effort to bring a new artificial turf field to Wilton did not have the same success. In May, Wilton voters rejected a bonding referendum to fund a proposed new turf field at Allen’s Meadow — which Vanderslice attributed primarily to cost concerns, though environmental concerns were also a significant part of the debate. Since then, Vanderslice has shifted her efforts to improving access and playability at Wilton’s existing grass fields and leveraging the Town’s relationship with the Wilton Athletic and Recreation Foundation (WARF) for maximum impact.

Vanderslice also stirred some controversy in June 2022 when it came to residents’ requests for a proclamation in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. She denied the proclamation on the basis that it falls outside the criteria she has established for such decisions — specifically, whether the subject of the proclamation is directly related to the work of a Town department. Supporters of an LGBTQIA+ proclamation argue that the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community are directly related to Wilton’s emergency response and social services departments, while Vanderslice maintains that the Town would be “at risk of having to issue a proclamation on any matter” without a strict policy.

Vanderslice has also had to defend the Social Services Department when questions have been raised about whether it is sufficiently responsive to the mental health needs of residents. In the FY’24 budget planning process, Selectman Ross Tartell questioned whether the scope of the department needed to be expanded at a time when youth and adult mental health needs have been growing. Prior to that, in 2020, several members of the Social Services Commission, including the chair, resigned in frustration over similar questions about whether the department was being proactive and responsive to the mental health crisis. Vanderslice has been a staunch defender of the department and its capacity to meet demand through information, referrals, financial assistance and programming. 

Parting Words

State Rep. Denning attended Monday evening’s (Nov. 27) BOS meeting to deliver a certificate to Vanderslice from the General Assembly offering “sincerest congratulations” in recognition of Vanderslice’s many accomplishments. He also read an official statement from Gov. Ned Lamont, which said, in part:

“On behalf of the state of Connecticut, I, Ned Lamont, Governor, take great pleasure in recognizing Lynne Vanderslice for your time as First Selectwoman in the Town of Wilton, Connecticut. Throughout your term, you have earned the respect of your colleagues. You’ve displayed professionalism, outstanding work ethic and commitment to excellence that is truly appreciated. You have shared your expertise, vision, and compassion for others and your colleagues, and proudly serve the residents of Connecticut. You have demonstrated a dedication to altruism and the common good. Your passion, enthusiasm, and leadership within the Town of Wilton is outstanding and your achievements are laudable. I congratulate you on this recognition and I wish you continued success. Therefore, I, Ned Lamont, Governor of the State of Connecticut, do hereby convey honor and recognition upon Lynne Vanderslice.” Note: quote based on audio recording; actual statement may differ slightly

Vanderslice will soon join the ranks of “former” first selectmen, like Bill Brennan, who wrote to GMW with high praise and well wishes for her:

“Government is not easy, but Lynne with her gracious smile and friendly personality tackled never ending municipal problems…and made it look easy! Lynne was always prepared for every meeting and responded with facts and figures. She did a great job and Wilton was lucky to have her for eight long years of Town management problems, pandemic and personnel challenges! I wish her relaxation and every happiness for the future.”

And so do we. Congratulations and thank you, Lynne — from everyone at GOOD Morning Wilton.

[Editor’s note: The First Selectwoman declined our invitation for an interview for this story. We appreciate all the support and access she routinely gave to GMW throughout her two terms.]