Wilton residents and former lawmakers tell reapportionment panel the 143rd should not pair Wilton with Norwalk

During a virtual public hearing of the Reapportionment Committee, a string of Wilton residents and past elected officials urged the panel to redraw Connecticut's 143rd House District so Wilton is not paired with the city of Norwalk.

"Wilton and Norwalk face substantially different issues," said Peter Ramp, a Wilton resident, asking the panel to "separate them and place Wilton into a distinct district with another small town." Ramp testified that the district's current configuration leaves Wilton with "lost voice in the noise." Representative Greg Haddad thanked Ramp for both his oral remarks and written testimony, which the committee placed on the public record.

Former state legislator Tony Boucher, who represented the 143rd from 1997 to 2009 and later served in the state senate, told the committee Wilton grew to about 18,800 residents and argued the town should not be split to create other districts. "No town shall be divided except for the purpose of forming assembly districts wholly within the town," Boucher said, citing Article III, Section 4 of the Connecticut Constitution as a guiding consideration.

Several other Wilton residents repeated the same core argument. Patty Tomacetti, who said she was born in Norwalk and has lived in Wilton for 25 years, told the panel that Wilton's small-town services, school system and civic institutions require a distinct focus from a representative. "Wilton needs a rep that can give our town the time and attention it deserves in Hartford," Tomacetti said. Former state representative Gail LaViele, who represented the 143rd for a decade, described representing the split district as "schizophrenic" and said the 2012 configuration made faithful representation nearly impossible.

Local elected and civic officials amplified the message. Joshua Cole, a Wilton board of selectmen member, noted the 143rd comprised roughly 45% Wilton, 45% Norwalk and about 10% Westport and urged the committee to "redraw the 143rd District to separate Wilton and Norwalk and include Wilton in a district with another small rural town that shares similar issues and challenges." Several witnesses suggested Ridgefield, Weston, Redding or New Canaan as better pairings.

Speakers framed the request as practical rather than partisan: they said the needs of a city with many schools, sewers and urban infrastructure differ from a small town whose priorities include local volunteer organizations, open space and municipal budgeting choices that residents vote on directly. "A single representative who only has one vote cannot, regardless of political party, faithfully and effectively represent three very different communities," said Matt Ramondi, a Wilton resident.

The committee did not take votes or issue a decision during the hearing. Co-chairs reminded the public that written submissions, maps and comments remain part of the public record and that the reapportionment committee will dissolve at midnight as required by the Constitution; the subsequent nine-member commission will inherit public testimony and continue map work.

What happens next: Committee members said they will pass the testimony and submitted maps to the commission that will complete district-drawing. The committee asked members of the public to continue submitting proposed plans and commentary via the committee's website.