TORRINGTON – There won’t be an immediate appointment to fill an open seat on the Torrington City Council, according to Torrington Mayor Randy Adams.
According to Adams, the open seat will remain that way through at least the candidate sign-up period from May 14-29. The seat was up for election in November anyway, and Adams said it didn’t make sense to appoint someone until potential candidates emerge.
“At this point, this first process that is a month away, there’s not much of a point in us appointing somebody for a month then bringing somebody else in at that time because they have signed up,” Adams said.
The open seat previously belonged to Matt Mattis, who was forced to resign from his post earlier this month after he and his family moved to an address outside of the city limits. Mattis, a Torrington native, was appointed to the council in February 2019 after Adams’ ascension to mayor.
“He has a new official residence outside of the city limits, and state statutes require that an elected council person must reside in the municipality that they represent,” Adams said.
“We’re going to miss his thoughtful and intellectual approach to the position and we wish him well.”
By not immediately appointing someone to the open post, Adams said the council is going to let the public have a say in who will represent them.
“We will let the public decide through the election process, and once the candidates are known, we will consider our options,” he said.
The TCC will re-evaluate the situation after the sign-up period. If there are several viable candidates at that point, it could take even longer to fill the spot – but the public will be able to decide.
“From that number, people that are interested in being a city councilman, the council can take a look at that, and take a look at whatever options we may have at that point,” Adams said. “We may just let that go through the August primary and then the general election in November, and decide then who the councilmen would be.”
There will be two TCC seats on the ballot during the general election. The open seat, and that of Councilman Bill Law, who has served on the council since 2013.
