Jennifer Lindsay was not reappointed as mayor of Ridgefield for two simple reasons: she refuses to communicate with her fellow councilors and she forgot how to count.
When Don Stose was appointed mayor in 2018, he stopped including council members in pivotal meetings as Mayor Rob Onslow did for 10 years. As a result, after four years as mayor and immediately after being reelected to the council without opposition, the council was set to not reappoint him as mayor, so he resigned rather than get voted down.
Enter Councilwoman Lindsay, who was appointed mayor unanimously. Unfortunately, for two years, she followed Don Stose’s lead and did not involve the council in meetings and refused to acknowledge or even talk with some of the council. Thus, she was not reappointed as mayor. She herself was not open and transparent when it came to her own council members.
Lindsay forgot simple math. She needed at least four votes on the council, but she alienated four members instead of working with them and cultivating them.
Being appointed mayor of a community like Ridgefield isn’t about gender, diversity or age. It is about appointing the best possible person for the position. In the case of 2024, that wasn’t Lindsay.