The recent crackdown on off-campus beach parties has renewed the importance of this year’s municipal election for students living in The Point, with senior students urging peers to vote for candidates who are “pro-beach” or “pro-student.”

“As we’ve all witnessed, the police have been a major hindrance in our ability to fully enjoy ourselves during senior year, as both residents and students. While this is not to alleviate any blame on their end, it’s quite important that we note that they answer to First Selectwoman Christine Vitale, who has not shown herself to be particularly “pro-student,” said Mickey Squillante, a senior student leader in an off-campus group chat.

The message sent on the group chat is the second instance of student leaders telling students to support Republican candidate Peter Collins, who is currently an alternate member of the Town Planning and Zoning Committee.

The Mirror reached out to Collins for an interview on his candidacy, but he did not respond to the request. Alongside Collins, the Republican ticket for RTM District 9 includes former RTM member Bruce Ryan. 

On the Democratic side, three incumbents are seeking reelection, with former Fairfield English professor Amanda Morgan running for the first time to represent residents of the ninth district.

In an interview with The Mirror, the Executive Director for the Westport Writers Workshop said she has been a resident of the town since 2014, but her recent involvement in politics comes from a desire to act on, rather than complain about, the current political situation. 

“I have a friend that I know through my kids who’s on the RTM in District 10 and she had said to me that being on the RTM had really sort of restored her faith in people’s goodwill and working across the aisle,” Morgan said about her decision to run for local office. “It also just felt really good to get involved in being engaged instead of sitting on the sidelines.”

While her platform includes continuing the late Bill Gerber’s Safe Streets initiative and “adequately supporting our schools,” she also talked to The Mirror about her proposals for the student community.

“I think that there may be this perception that the Democratic candidates are trying to limit students’ fun and passing noise ordinances, although that actually passed under a Republican first selectman,” Morgan said, referring to the noise ordinance passed in the summer of 2023.

Fairfield’s Noise Ordinance, passed with support from all Democrats and five Republican RTM members, establishes that noise should not exceed 45 dBA in residential areas during nighttime hours, which the town stipulates to be from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and starting at 11 p.m. on weekends. 

The ordinance gives enforcement discretion to law enforcement officers and offenders are subject to penalties ranging from a verbal warning to a $250 citation notice. 

While changes to the noise ordinance are not part of any of the RTM 9 candidates’ proposals from both parties, Morgan said she would seek to promote formal communication between university administrators, students and the town government. 

Morgan also indicated the need to reach a consensus on what is reasonable for both students and permanent town residents.

“I think many students look forward to living off campus in this beautiful environment and not just to have a party,” Morgan said. She added that while some Fairfield students may frame “saving the beach” as preserving it as a place for massive beach parties, her conversations with former students suggest that they also value living on the beach as a place for recreation and leisure.

At the same time, Morgan emphasized that the interests of both groups are more aligned than students think. 

“The same things that draw students to the university are a lot of the same things that drew me to want to live in Fairfield,” the former English professor said, highlighting the town’s walkability and accessibility to New York City. “It might seem like the interests of the adults, like the permanent residents in town, are at odds with the interests of the students, but I just don’t really think that’s true.”