On Tuesday morning, Stafford got a new selectman. John Whetton will fill the seat left behind when Kurt Vail, our State Representative, stepped down from his position on the board. Whetton was nominated by the Republican Town Committee, accepted by the remaining members of the Board of Selectmen, and then sworn in by the Town Clerk on March 25, 2025.
In a public comment on Facebook (that Stafford Free Press asked for permission to use), Whetton said, “I am honored to serve the people of Stafford as a common-sense conservative. I will fulfill the duties of this position to the best of my ability for the remainder of the term. I appreciate the Board of Selectmen for accepting me as the nominee from the RTC to fill this vacancy, and I look forward to working with them while bringing a fresh perspective.”
So, who is John Whetton? If you’ve visited the transfer station over the past few years, you probably know him. Like many people in town, he says, his family came here from Italy in the early 20th century. He’s come and gone since then. Most recently, Whetton says he moved back to Stafford in 2018 after five years of active military service, two deployments in Iraq, and four more years in the National Guard. He joined the Parks Department, moved to the highway department, and then to the transfer station as a supervisor. In 2024, he was hired at the Water Pollution Control Facility.
Married with three kids in high school, Whetton is also part of the Stafford community in many other ways. He serves as Adjutant of Post 26, American Legion; Senior Vice Commander of District 4, American Legion; on the Board of Assessment Appeals; on the Veterans Advisory Committee; and Volunteer Veterans Municipal Service Officer for Stafford. He previously served on the Flagpole Committee and the Wall of Honor Committee. Somehow, he also has time to pursue his undergraduate degree in environmental science, focusing on water resource recovery.
During the special Board of Selectmen meeting where Whetton’s nomination was voted on and accepted (which you can watch here), Selectman Rick Hartenstein said, “Knowing John’s history for the town and community, I’d like to make a motion that we nominate him for the vacant position on the Board of Selectmen.” After the unanimous vote to accept him, Stafford resident Derek Dimmock raised concerns that Whetton works for the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA), where Hartenstein is the superintendent. Dimmock said he believes this is a conflict of interest. It’s worth noting that Chris Paradiso, appointed last year to fill a vacancy on the Board of Education, employs Shana Boland, an elected BOE member. In other words, this is not unprecedented in town (and frankly, it seems like an inevitable consequence of living in a small town where few people are willing to give their time on boards and commissions).
Dimmock also questioned whether Hartenstein and Whetton would have to abstain from voting about the budget, saying they would be “voting for their raises.” Hartenstein clarified that the WPCA budget is separate from the town budget and is funded entirely by sewer users. Additionally, that budget is set by the WPCA board. The Board of Finance approves it. The selectman’s only role in that budget is voting on whether or not to send it to a town meeting. Marnie Hofmann then asked if Whetton was a “Dadalt” and if he might be related to Hartenstein or First Selectman Bill Morrison. They said he was not.
In his statement, Whetton acknowledged coming into this position at a crucial time for the town: “Stafford stands at a crossroads, and tough conversations must take place to find real solutions. It’s easy to vote no, but the real challenge is tackling the issues that don’t inevitably disappear because of that vote. Creating real change in our community takes more than a Facebook post—it requires commitment and an open mind. As I serve the remainder of this term, I promise Stafford three things: transparency, diplomacy, and accountability.”
Whetton will attend his first meeting as a selectman on April 2, 2025. In the meantime, he said, “I now prepare to take my seat and contribute to the board. I also encourage the citizens of Stafford to be more involved. Participate, learn the process, and, when and where appropriate, contribute to the various boards and committees that help shape our community.”