Canaan/Falls Village Board of Selectmen

07/13/26

Present: First Selectman David Barger, Selectmen Christopher Kinsella, Judy Jacobs.

Both the Republican registrar and deputy registrar for the town of Canaan/Falls Village submitted their resignation letters in late June. The Town Board of Selectmen accepted their resignations at the July 13 meeting.

The Registrars of Voters are elected officials of the town and serve for a four-year term. They are responsible for conducting all elections, primaries, and ballot measures, as well as registering eligible voters. Registrars are elected in November, with terms beginning the first day of January the following year. 

The term of outgoing Republican Registrar of Voters Susan Kelsey would have ended Dec. 31. In her June 24 resignation letter, obtained by The Goshen News and read by First Selectman David Barger at the July meeting, Kelsey said she had already decided not to run for re-election this fall. She said she and Democratic Registrar Pat Fife both decided it would be a good idea for Kelsey’s successor to come on board as soon as possible to familiarize themselves with the voter registration system. 

“While my tenancy as registrar of voters has certainly had its challenges, I am sincerely grateful for the experience,” Kelsey wrote. “I will miss the Wednesday morning camaraderie and the feeling of being an integral part of the town offices.”

Kelsey added that the Canaan Republican Town Committee, chaired by Carol Staats, will have to designate an appointee, who then will be a “write-in” candidate given that the last day for candidate petitions to be filed with the state was June 9.  

“I accept this resignation with mixed feelings, just saying that in my tenure, Sue has done an outstanding job as the Republican registrar,” Barger said. 

On June 29, five days after Kelsey’s resignation letter was drafted, Republican Deputy Registrar G. Tracy Atwood also filed a letter of resignation. 

“It has been both a learning experience and a pleasure to have worked with you for several years as a deputy registrar,” Atwood wrote. “Being a registrar is certainly more complicated today with more regulations, more electronic devices, and reporting systems than when my mother was the registrar.”

Atwood also noted that her resignation allows for Kelsey’s successor to select their own deputy registrar. “Another one that I will ask for a motion to accept the resignation with regret,” Barger said. 

The Board also accepted a July 10 letter from Tracey Wilson, the town cemetery’s sexton, as a formal complaint regarding Town Clerk Johanna Mann’s behavior during Wilson’s visit to the Town Hall on July 9. 

“The purpose of my visit was to submit the required state section report, which requires the town clerk’s signature,” Wilson wrote, adding that despite waiting respectfully for someone to address her request, she was ignored. The town treasurer, Wilson said, noticed she had been waiting and stepped in to help. 

“Professionalism, respect, and timely communication are essential in local government,” Wilson said. “Being disregarded while attempting to carry out state-required sexton duties is unacceptable.”

In her letter to the Board of Selectmen, Wilson requested that the incident be reviewed and the town ensure that all individuals coming to Town Hall are treated with respect and receive timely assistance.

Barger responded to Wilson’s letter, noting that he wants to review the incident with the Board of Selectmen. That review will likely happen at the beginning of August, the selectmen said at the meeting. 

“There are a couple things I do want to talk about, not just reviewing this incident, but some other incidents we should be reviewing as we go forward, regarding the conduct of business at the Town Hall,” Barger said.