Town Clerk Cindy Ladwig says this will be her last term

Stonington — After winning her 11th consecutive term Tuesday, Democratic Town Clerk Cindy Ladwig said Wednesday she plans to retire in four years.

“I’m going to enjoy retirement with my husband ( local attorney Ted Ladwig),” she said about her decision. “Hopefully, we’ll still be healthy and be able to travel a little and enjoy not working.”

Ladwig began working in Town Hall 40 years ago when she was just 20 years old. Initially, she was assigned a variety of administrative duties before finding a home in the planning office working for former planner Bob Birmingham. In 1979, there was an opening in the town clerk’s office and she became the assistant clerk.

After former Town Clerk Ruth Waller retired in 1997, Ladwig ran successfully for the position. That race would be the only time she would face an opponent. She has since won 10 more terms, each time being cross endorsed by the Republicans.

The terms were all for two years until her latest, which has been expanded to four years.

There is a possibility that in four years there may not be an election for town clerk. Making the position an ap- pointed one is expected to be one of the issues considered by a charter review commission.

The charter commission is also expected to consider issues such as expanding the Board of Selectman to five members and instituting a town manager form of government. Appointing a professional with the required training and education to be the town clerk is a proposal supported by Ladwig.

First Selectman Rob Simmons said that he has known Ladwig for 30 years and has always found her to be “intelligent, industrious, helpful and dedicated to the Town of Stonington.”

“That’s why as a member of the Republican Town Committee, I’ve made motions in the past to cross endorse her. Occasionally, there was some objections from my colleagues but we’ve always done it. Now, it’s become almost a tradition,” he said.

Simmons said that losing Ladwig after all these years now creates the question of whether the town should change the charter to appoint a town clerk.

“That’s a question for the next year or so,” he said.