Politics & Government

Democrats Choose Harry Captain for Joe Verrengia's Town Council Seat

Candidate has a long record of service to the town.

Get out your scorecards. When the Town Council meets tonight, it will add another new member to the mix, giving the council a full complement of nine members after several months of changing players.

Mayor Scott Slifka said Tuesday morning that the Democrats have chosen Harry Captain to fill the seat vacated by Joe Verrengia. Verrengia was elected to the state House of Representatives in a special election in February to represent the 20th District and resigned his council seat earlier this month.

"Harry Captain brings a lifetime of financial acumen and eight years of valuable budget experience to the Council," Slifka said. "He has been a champion for education as well as for taxpayers in general. Those of us who have had the pleasure to work with him know first hand of his frankness, credibility and ability to work across party lines. With Harry Captain, there is no learning curve — he's ready on Day One."

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Captain works for The Travelers in corporate procurement and is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor. He served as a member of the town's Risk Management Advisory Board until his appointment expired at the end of 2010. He also served for two elected four-year terms on the Board of Education from 2001-2009, and also on the Enfield Board of Education before moving to West Hartford in 1999.

In an interview Tuesday, Captain said he would bring his budget experience to the rest of Verrengia's term, which expires in November.

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"I've done ten school board budgets, and hopefully, I can bring that experience to the table," he said. "I think the town is in great shape. In this difficult economic time, we need to be very careful in striking a balance" between the comprehensive town services now available and what people can afford to pay.

Captain is married and has three children: a 20-year-old graduate now at Emory University; a 17-year-old Hall junior; and a 14-year-old 8th-grader at .

Captain will join fellow Democrats Slifka, Deputy Mayor Tim Brennan, and council members Shari Cantor, Judy Casperson and Leon Davidoff in a six-member majority. Davidoff, who was elected as a Republican, recently resigned his seat to be immediately appointed to the vacancy left by the resignation of Democrat Rob Durbin.

On the Republican side, Minority Leader Denise Hall and council member Steven Adler were recently joined by newly appointed member Burke Doar, who took the seat vacated by Davidoff. The Republicans now have a three-member minority.

The council will meet tonight at 7:30 p.m. at A public hearing on proposed changes to Bishops Corner will precede the meeting at 6:30 p.m.


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