Greenwich RTM Re-Elects Alexis Voulgaris As Moderator
GREENWICH, CT — The Greenwich Representative Town Meeting this week voted to re-elect Alexix Voulgaris as moderator for another term.
The vote came during the RTM’s first meeting of the new year. Newly-elected members were sworn-in, and Katherine LoBalbo was re-elected as moderator pro tempore.
Voulgaris, who became the first female RTM moderator in Greenwich history in 2022 after serving as pro tempore and as a member in District 6, was nominated for re-election by Craig Amundson of District 12.
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Amundson touted Voulgaris’s accomplishments in her first term, which included the implementation of electronic voting, one of the biggest changes in the nearly 100-year history of the Greenwich RTM. Amundson also talked about the way Voulgaris runs each RTM meeting.
“At our RTM meetings, she sets a firm but polite and respectful tone as she guides us through the call. She is consistently even-tempered and highly organized as she carries out her duties,” Amundson said. “She works collaboratively with the department heads, the Office of the First Selectman, Board of Estimate and Taxation, RTM leadership and members to efficiently carry out the town’s business.”
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After the RTM vote, Voulgaris said she was “honored” to be elected for another term as leader of the town’s legislative body.
The moderator helps navigate the body through meetings, and often makes important parliamentary decisions based on Robert’s Rules of Order.
“I value the collaborative nature in which we work together, and much like the moderators who have come before me, I believe that each meeting needs to follow a good and fair process. We can disagree about the subject matter, but we must do so in a respectful, polite and collegial way for both our members and guests,” Voulgaris said.
A goal for her second term is to highlight the RTM’s work to the public.
“This term, I would like to see the RTM promote itself so we aren’t simply something people think about a few weeks leading up to the November election,” she said. “To that end, I’d like for the RTM to become more active in educating the public about what the RTM is, why it’s important, and why everyone should know who we are and what their local legislative body is and how we work.
The 230-member legislative body, with its powers vested by the Town Charter, has the authority to:
Voulgaris said she believes there are plenty of opportunities to engage with neighborhood associations, school civics classes, boy and girl scout troops, and other local organizations.
“In the coming months, I would like to investigate the best ways to promote the RTM from within to a broader community, and I will likely ask you, the members, to help me on that front,” Voulgaris added.
RTM member Jill Kelly nominated LoBalbo for re-election as moderator pro tempore.
Kelly called LoBalbo “respectful, professional, reasonable, level, stable, strong and kind,” and lauded her work on the RTM over the years.
“Katherine is a great example of what I think our town needs. We need people who listen to everyone and make educated decisions that are best for most,” Kelly said.
LoBalbo spoke briefly following her re-election.
“I’m so honored to serve this body for another two years. Many of you have been part of so much growth in my life when I started in 2015,” she said. “As we approach 100 years of the RTM, I think of my great grandmother who came to this country, who could not vote and could not run for office. So I am so humbled by your confidence.”
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