Republican Town Committee Delays Nominations for Board of Registrars-October 24, 1978

GOP Committee Postpones Nominations to Ensure Proper Procedure

Meeting last night, the Republican Town Committee voted to delay nominations for the Republican seat on the Board of Registrars—formerly held by A. Franklin Swift—for one week. Although committee members expressed no doubt regarding Swift’s suitability to return to the board, the postponement was enacted to ensure proper adherence to procedural protocol, as the selection of nominees had not been formally listed on the agenda when meeting notices were mailed.

The vacancy arose after District 9 town meeting member Kenneth Swift (unrelated to A. Franklin Swift) successfully cleared his eligibility for reinstatement by resigning from conflicting municipal posts, including the commission to promote business and industry, the industrial financing authority, and the airport commission. The issue initially came to light when Town Counsel Justin C. Barton ruled 15 months prior that A. Franklin Swift had automatically relinquished his registrar’s seat upon accepting an appointment to the airport commission, citing state laws prohibiting individuals from simultaneously holding multiple appointed town offices while serving as a registrar.

Town Counsel Review and Board Eligibility Verification

Acting on Town Counsel Barton’s advice, the Board of Selectmen requested that the Republican Town Committee submit a list of three formal nominations rather than a single candidate to fill the vacancy. To ensure full compliance among all election officials, Barton also required incumbent registrars—Democrat Stephen F. Connolly (who also serves as town clerk) and Republican Russell S. Finbow—to sign statements affirming they hold no other conflicting town offices.

During the committee discussion, members briefly debated potential conflicts regarding Connolly holding both the town clerk position and a registrar seat, with one member raising concerns about administrative efficiency in striking deceased voters from registration lists. The committee also touched upon whether Swift should return the $800 annual salary he received during the past year while serving under the disputed status.

Committee Prepares for Next Monday’s Vote

To ensure transparency and allow all members an opportunity to participate in the decision, the 12 committee members present voted unanimously to use the interim week to gather more information on the exact time commitments and job duties required of a registrar. The committee scheduled its formal nomination meeting for 8:00 p.m. the following Monday, with several members indicating a strong desire to see A. Franklin Swift restored to the ballot.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger