Seth Morton, a longtime member of the Representative Town Meeting and a former selectman, was chosen Monday as the interim moderator of the Representative Town Meeting to replace Sarah Seelye.
Seth Morton on Monday night, after he was selected as acting moderator of the RTM
Morton, who is also vice chairman of the Darien Republican Town Committee, was chosen in a unanimous vote of the RTM Rules Committee as acting moderator for the rest of Seelye’s term. Seelye said Monday morning that she is stepping down from the post and moving out of town to be closer to a new job.
There are two RTM sessions scheduled to take place before the November election, and after that the RTM elects a moderator for a full term.z
At the Rules Committee meeting, Morton was put forward by Lois Schneider, vice chair of the committee. Although Barbara Thorne suggested Schneider herself should be the acting moderator, Schneider declined. The committee then unanimously voted in Morton.
Morton has been a member of the RTM, with occasional interruptions, since the mid-1980s, including some years on the Board of Selectmen. He works for New York Life Insurance Co.
He’s been a Darien resident since 1973. Morton and his wife, Linda, raised three children, now adults, who all attended Darien schools.
Earlier Monday night, at the Board of Selectmen meeting, First Selectman Jayme Stevenson noted Seelye, who was in the audience, was stepping down:
“Sarah, you have raised the bar for information gathering, sharing and transparency within the RTM, and you, and your good spirit and humor will be missed by all, but mostly by me,” Stevenson said. “I’m grateful for the spirit of collaboration that exists now between the boards, commissions and the RTM due to your leadership. Thank you so much.”
“OK, I won’t go,” Seelye quipped.