Ridgefield News
December 6, 2000

First Selectman Praised

Rudy Marconi reads the results of yesterday's referendum to the Board of Selectmen

Dec. 6 -- On the day after passage of Ridgefield's biggest referendum in history, First Selectman Rudy Marconi is receiving praise from all quarters for his leadership in uniting the town behind a solution to the school capacity problem. At tonight's Board of Selectmen meeting, townspeople gave the First Selectman a round of spontaneous applause, following ringing encomiums from Republican leader John Katz and READ leader Jane Berendsen-Hill. Katz noted that Marconi had put his political career on the line for the Town, and had done "nothing short of a wonderful job" in uniting the town behind a solution to "our most vexing problem." Ms. Berendsen-Hill praised Marconi, and other Selectmen, for bringing the town together to pass a solution to the school problem.

Townspeople at tonight's Board of Selectmen meeting applaud Rudy Marconi for his leadership on the school bundle issue.

As the first local news outlet to weigh in, the Danbury News-Times said, "The vote also meant a political risk paid off for a first-term first selectman. Marconi, a Democrat in a strongly Republican town, cobbled together a bipartisan coalition of elected officials to support the bond issue. His proposal overcame a cadre of spending opponents and left political opponents skeptical about an all-or-nothing question but stopping short of advocating a 'no' vote."

Ridgefield Democrats, who endorsed the bundle and worked hard for its passage, were especially proud of their new First Selectman. Democratic Town Committee Chair Jim Diamond said, "I am pleased to see the Bundle pass and enormously proud to say that Rudy Marconi is one of our own."

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