Open Seat On Town Council Filled In Split Vote

With the passing of Charlestown Town Councilor Grace Klinger in January, there was an open seat on the Town Council. By Charter, because there was less than a year to the next election, it was up to the Town Council to decide how they wanted to fill the seat.

The Charter presented the Town Council with three options: leave the position vacant, hold a special election to let voters decide, or appoint someone to fill the position.

The Council chose to fill the position by appointment, accepted applications until March 1, and made their selection on March 11.

There were three applicants by the March 1 deadline: Bonnie Van Slyke, Mike Marcelynas, and Peter Slom.

At the March 11 meeting, Councilors made nominations and then voted.

Susan Cooper nominated Bonnie Van Slyke and spoke of her eight years of experience as a Charlestown Town Councilor from 2014 to 2022 and of her lifelong knowledge of the town. Bonnie was the Town Council Liaison to the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Senior Citizens Commission. She is a former officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Frosty Drew Observatory & Science Center and has served on a Zoning Board and a Land Trust. Bonnie is a freelance copy editor, technical writer, and publications specialist and graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Economics from Wellesley College. You can read more about Bonnie on her profile page.

Steve Stokes nominated Mike Marcelynes and praised his finance background and also liked that he was not closely affiliated with any political group in town. Mike has a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Mathematics from Bryant College and experience in pricing and data analytics. He had volunteer experience in Wolcott, CT on a road-building committee and a golf commission. He has attended many Town Council and other meetings where he has advocated for the paving of Charlestown Beach Road where he lives.

Richard Serra nominated Peter Slom who is well known as the first formerly incarcerated person to be appointed to the R.I. Parole Board. Peter helped establish and then served on Charlestown’s  Juvenile Hearing Board. He was also a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission and has coached youth sports. He serves as President of the Warm Center in Westerly.

None of the Town Councilors spoke against any candidate.

The vote was then called and Susan Cooper voted for Bonnie Van Slyke, Steve Stokes voted for Mike Marcelynes, and Richard Serra and Deb Carney voted for Peter Slom. With those two votes, Peter Slom was elected to the Town Council to serve until November 2024.