BETHEL — Matt Knickerbocker is looking to continue his tenure of more than a decade as the town’s first selectman.
The Bethel resident of more than 35 years plans to run for a seventh term in office with fellow Democrat Richard Straiton as his running mate.
Since their first day in office, Knickerbocker said he and Straition have been dedicated to achieving bipartisan support for the betterment of the community.
“We have made it a point to leave politics at the door and work for every resident of our town,” he said. “It would be an honor for both of us to continue to serve our town.”
Before being elected first selectman in 2009, Knickerbocker served 10 years on the town’s Board of Education. As chair for seven of those years, he led the board through two major school renovations, as well as an alignment of the school district’s curriculum.
Straiton — a lifelong Bethel resident — has served as a justice of the peace and constable, as well as a member of local building committees.
He was a member of the Permanent Building Committee during the Frank A. Berry School and Bethel High School renovations and chaired the construction of Bethel Middle School and Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center renovations.
Straiton said budget control and improving the town’s finances and infrastructure have been among his and Knickerbocker’s top priorities as selectmen.
“Our aggressive road construction program has just passed its 10th year and is still going strong, and our high AAA bond rating was just reaffirmed for the fifth consecutive year,” he noted.
During Knickerbocker and Straiton’s time in office, there have been two elementary school renovations, major upgrades to Bethel’s public water system, increased open space holdings and the creation of a 2.5-acre municipal solar farm.
If re-elected, Knickerbocker said renewable energy system expansion will be one of his top priorities.
“We need to do more to improve sustainability,” said Knickerbocker, who is looking to expand the role of the town’s energy commission to include work in areas like solid waste reduction and recycling system improvements.
In addition to the town’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Knickerbocker and Straiton have recently been working to improve work efficiency at town hall.
Ongoing projects include creating a new online permitting system for the building, land use, public works and health departments, as well as revamping the town’s website to provide new online services to residents.
Knickerbocker said he’s excited about Bethel’s future and hopes to continue serving as the town’s first selectman.
“Our community has worked together to get through this pandemic, we’ve invested wisely in our schools, and we’re ready to keep our community moving forward,” he said.
Knickerbocker was sworn in for a sixth term after defeating Republican Pat Rist and petitioning candidate Bill Och in the 2019 election.
It is unclear who his opponent may be this year as the Bethel Republican Town Committee has not yet announced a candidate.
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Knickerbocker seeks seventh term as Bethel's first selectman - Westport News
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