10/03/2026
This is a bittersweet moment for Colchester Democrats. We want to congratulate our dear friend and beloved Town Clerk Gayle Furman on her upcoming retirement, but we are also sad to see her leave an office she has led so well for 12 years! Gayle has been a fixture at Town Hall across many administrations, serving dutifully under both Democratic and Republican administrations. We were always proud to have her on our ticket. She leaves big shoes to fill!
The vacancy must be filled by a Colchester Democrat. If you are interested in filling the seat, details on how to apply are available in the post below. The appointment is for 11 months until November 2027, but we would love to see someone apply who is also interested in running to keep the seat for a full four year term. That means running in the November 2027 election.
If you are interested and want to know more about running, please reach out to the Colchester Democratic Town Committee.
I want to offer congratulations and thanks to Town Clerk Gayle Furman who announced her retirement at last night’s Board of Selectmen meeting. Gayle has served the Town of Colchester for 12 years, working alongside five First Selectmen and many iterations of the Boards of Selectmen, Finance, Education, and Office of Registrars.
I am very grateful to Gayle for her service and am honored to have served alongside her over the last few years. She has served her community with dignity and respect through both good times and bad.
“The opportunity to serve this community through life milestones and everyday moments has been humbling and I am deeply grateful for the trust and confidence that have been placed in me throughout my tenure,” Gayle wrote in her letter to the Board.
Gayle informed the Board that she will leave office at the end of this year. Her last day as Town Clerk will be December 31, 2026. This will create a vacancy in the elected office of Town Clerk.
Per the Town Charter, the Board of Selectmen must fill the vacancy with a registered voter from the same political party as when the vacating individual was elected. This means we will be seeking a registered Democrat who is interested in serving as Town Clerk until at least November 15, 2027.
Interested candidates should consider whether they would be interested in continuing to serve in the role beyond November 2027 which would mean running for election in 2027.
If you are interested in serving, please fill out the Town of Colchester Employment Application and submit your application to the Office of First Selectman. If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Town Clerk Gayle Furman at 860-537-7215 or by email at [email protected].
More information on this and more can be found in the First Selectman's Report for October 2, 2026: https://www.colchesterct.gov/home/news/first-selectmans-report-october-2-2026
