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Tolland council unanimously appoints Mary Rose DeBarrick and Shane Jackson to fill two vacancies
Summary
After extended public comment and debate about process and social-media controversy, the Tolland Town Council voted to fill two vacant seats: Mary Rose DeBarrick and Shane Jackson were each appointed by separate roll-call votes and were sworn in during the Feb. 10 meeting.
The Tolland Town Council on Feb. 10 appointed Mary Rose DeBarrick and Shane Jackson to fill two vacant council seats, following public comment and a roll-call vote.
Chair Chris Moran introduced the motions and framed the decision as a charter-driven administrative duty that should focus on voters'mandated rules rather than tests of viewpoint. "I strongly support seeing both candidates tonight," Moran said, noting that the nominees met the charter'specified qualifications.
Council members discussed the nominations and the context of recent online controversy. One councilor said he had been the target of "pressure and false statements made online" and wanted to see both nominees present before voting. After discussion, the council conducted separate roll-call votes. For the motion to appoint Mary Rose DeBarrick, the minutes record that Councilor Beebe, Councilor Wells, Councilor Bieslaw and Councilor Shea voted "Aye"; the motion passed and DeBarrick was sworn in. The subsequent motion to appoint Shane Jackson passed by roll call as well and Jackson was sworn in that evening.
The chair administered the oath of office and provided new council-member materials. Council then moved to fill internal leadership positions: Councilor Besaw (listed in the record as Besaw/Bissau in different places) was nominated and confirmed by unanimous roll call to serve as vice chair.
Why it matters: The appointments fill two seats that had been the subject of extended public attention and debate about whether the council was following the town charter. Residents who spoke during public comment urged the council to act promptly, citing the charter requirement to fill vacancies with same-party registrants; others urged deliberation in light of recent social-media allegations. With the seats filled, the council returns to seven voting members ahead of the town's budget season and other upcoming agenda items.
What happens next: The new council members will participate in upcoming committee assignments and the council's work on budget and policy items. The council recorded the votes in the meeting minutes and the clerk completed the swearing-in at the meeting.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 798; topfinish SEG 1110.
