With no foe, Dickinson focuses on charter fight

WALLINGFORD - Even though he's running unopposed this year, William W. Dickinson Jr., the town's longtime Republican mayor, is still mounting a robust campaign. Dickinson, who has held office since 1984, has planted campaign signs across town, sent out multiple mailings and appeared at campaign events with Republican candidates for the Town Council and Board of Education. The only difference is that this year he's not squaring off against an opposing candidate, but is focused on stopping an attempt to revise the Town Charter. "I'm very concerned about the charter issue," Dickinson said Tuesday at a $25-per-person campaign fundraiser at Gouveia Vineyards. "I think people need to be well-aware that there's an election this year and what's at stake." Charter revision has been a thorny issue since the council voted down a request to open up the document early last year. That prompted residents to launch a successful petition drive, and the Charter Revision Commission produced seven amendments that are on the November ballot. One of those would reduce from seven to six the number of council votes needed to overturn a mayoral veto. Since no party can hold more than six council seats because of minority-representation rules, vetoes are impossible if the vote falls along party lines. Republicans, who are in the council minority and were also the minority on the charter commission, have criticized the effort as an attempt by Democrats to curtail the mayor's power. Dickinson's mailings describe his accomplishments and urge voters to "save our charter - vote no on all proposed amendments." He also made a $250 contribution to the "Save Our Charter" political action committee formed by Republican Town Committee member Christopher Diorio, which urges residents to oppose the charter amendments. When the Democratic Party did not field a challenger in 2001, the Republicans did well that year, garnering 56 percent of votes cast and taking the maximum six of nine seats on both the council and school board. Councilor Vincent Testa, a Democrat who is seeking re-election, said the party couldn't find anyone able to devote the time and effort necessary for a mayoral run this year.