By Brandon T. Bisceglia
Jody Dietch. Contributed photo.
Orange Democrats unanimously voted for Democratic Town Committee Chair Jody Dietch July 16 as their nominee in the race for first selectman.
“I have often considered a run for First Selectman, and as they say, timing is everything. It is time to move Orange into the future, while respecting our past,” Dietch said in her acceptance speech.
Dietch will face Republican incumbent Jim Zeoli in the Nov. 5 election. Zeoli is seeking an eighth two-year term leading the town.
In her speech, Dietch talked about her near-lifetime in Orange, including serving on the Race Brook School PTA and the Orange Board of Education.
She also criticized Zeoli’s administration for the town’s economic struggles.
“Nearly every year that the current Republican first selectman and his administration have been in office, our taxes have increased,” she said. “We need to look at more ways to control expenses including, but certainly not limited to, sharing resources with our neighboring towns. Yes, we do some of that now but there is more to be done.”
“We need to look at alternatives for the large empty big box stores that haunt the east end of Route 1 where LA Fitness, Lowe’s and Sam’s used to be,” Dietch added. “It is time to resurrect the Post Road Study Committee to present new ideas that will help lead us into the next decade with significant economic development and not economic stagnation.”
Dietch promised to find “meaningful” ways to work with seniors in town, improve communication and to make the town environmentally sustainable.