By Julia Barcello
Late Tuesday night, the Greenwich Republican Town Committee (RTC) voted to endorse its slate of candidates for the November 2025 municipal election. While several positions advanced uncontested, the most competitive endorsements came in the races for the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) and the Board of Education (BOE).
Town Clerk Jackie Budkins, a lifelong Greenwich resident, will seek a third term. “My favorite part is working with our residents in our community and it’s different every day,” Budkins said during the meeting. Public service runs in her family—her mother, Carmella, was the first female town clerk, and her father, John, served 18 years on the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). Budkins, a Certified Connecticut Town Clerk, has emphasized modernization in her office, pointing to accomplishments like free property alert systems, online dog licensing and renewals, and upgraded voting technology for the RTM. “If re-elected, I will continue building on this foundation, pursuing smart innovations and maintaining the high standard of service Greenwich deserves,” she said.
Tax Collector Heather Smeriglio also received the party’s backing for another term. Praised by the RTC for achieving “one of the highest collection rates in the state,” Smeriglio reached a 99.8% collection rate this past year. As a former banker, she currently serves as president of the Fairfield County Tax Collectors Association. “I love being tax collector. I love helping people,” she said. Smeriglio highlighted the importance of maintaining low taxes: “That’s a big attraction to Greenwich… keep our taxes low and keep people coming here for our great town.”
The committee endorsed six Republican candidates for the BET: Sally Bednar, Joe Pellegrino, Harry Fisher, David Alfano, Nisha Arora, and Lucia Jansen. Bednar, an RTM representative from District 6, is described by colleagues as straightforward and patriotic, with a family connection to military service. Pellegrino, who has served on both the RTM and the BET, chaired the BET Budget Committee for two years and, according to First Selectman Fred Camillo, delivered “a mill rate increase of 2.75% each year, which is what Greenwich residents have come to expect.”
Fisher, the current BET chair, has been active in town finance since the 1980s. He stepped in to fill Michael Basham’s unexpired term in 2022 before winning election outright in 2023. Alfano, chair of the BET Audit Committee, brings expertise in accounting and business advising and is known for a “principled Republican” approach favoring free markets and low taxes. Arora, now serving her second term on the BET, has an engineering background and an MBA from Yale University, and is regarded as one of the RTC’s most effective campaigners and fundraisers. Jansen, a three-decade resident of Greenwich with 20 years on the RTM, is recognized for her data-driven, detail-oriented decision-making.
Four BOE candidates were endorsed: Karen Krause, Paul Cappiali, Shawn McDonnell, and Granit Balidemaj. Krause, a Greenwich mother with a background in finance, is praised for balancing educational quality with taxpayer accountability. Cappiali, a current BOE member, is noted for his collaborative style and ability to navigate board conflicts. McDonnell, active in local education and community service, and Balidemaj, a 14-year resident and RTM member who previously ran for first selectman in 2019, round out the ticket.
For the 2-year seat on the BOE, Michael Mercanti was endorsed with party support. Mercanti holds a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania and 25 years of experience in education. He said, “I look forward to continuing this work.”
Camillo said the endorsed group “brings a new attitude and a new spirit of cooperation… you certainly share your beliefs that you’re going to promote. But… you don’t get 100% of what you want all the time… you have to be able to work with people.”
The general election will be held November 4.
Asterisk = incumbent
Endorsed Candidates:
First Selectman: Fred Camillo*
Selectwoman: Lauren Rabin*
Town Clerk: Jackie Budkins*
Tax Collector: Heather Smeriglio*
Board of Education:
Michael Joseph Mercanti Anthony*
Paul Cappiali
Granit Balidemaj
Karen Krause
Sean McDonald
Board of Estimate and Taxation:
David Alfano*
Nisha Arora*
Sally Bednar
Harry Fisher*
Lucia Jansen*
Joe Pelligrino
Board of Assessment Appeals:
Christopher (Kit) Mills
Mark Pruner*
Jeff Reardon*
Constables:
Alan Gaynor
Donna Maloney*
Charles Thivierge*
Tom Waurishuk*
