The town of Portland has appointed a new first selectman in the wake of member Shaun Manning's death.
Manning, who was a fire lieutenant and Board of Selectman member, was killed by a driver in Portland a week before Christmas. He was crossing Main Street when he was hit by a driver on Dec. 18.
Manning was on his way to a town meeting where he was set to be appointed as town selectman, filling the remainder of Ryan Curley’s term.
Michael Pelton was appointed first selectman of Portland. The Portland GOP said Pelton is the longest-serving selectman and he's served the town for 14 years.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Pelton has served two terms on the town's Board of Education and he's been with the Board of Selectmen for five years, town officials said.
"All along, Mike’s been active, doing the people‘s business, and has typically received the highest vote totals among Selectmen, and did so again in 2023," Tim Lavoy, who serves on the Board of Selectmen, said.
Pelton was sworn in during Wednesday night's meeting.
Local
"We are still grappling with the deep feelings of loss from the tragedy that befell Shaun Manning. To me, the best way to honor both Ryan’s and Shaun’s legacy of service is to get back to business and to be united in our efforts to serve the people of Portland," Lavoy said on Facebook.
