MIDDLETOWN — In the final chapter of what many have called the ugliest campaign season in years, town voters ushered political newcomer Robert Sylvia onto the Town Council last night.

Sylvia, a Democrat, will join council President Paul Rodrigues, who was the big winner last night with 4,240 votes, Democratic council members Shirley Mello, Louis DiPalma, and Edward Silveira Jr., and Republican incumbents M. Theresa Santos and Barbara Barrow.

Challengers Francis Forgue, Jonathan Perry, Antone Viveiros and William O’Connell were rejected after last night’s vote, according to unofficial results from the state Board of Elections.

“I think we’ll be a less divisive council now and it’s time to go back to working for the people of Middletown,” Rodrigues said.

Voters also approved more than $10 million in spending, allowing town officials to construct an $8-million police station, conduct $1 million in road and drainage improvements, and allocate $1 million to remediate Kempenaar Valley.

Candidates said they were relieved the election season has come to an end.

“I’m glad it’s over. I wish it was over a month ago,” DiPalma said while celebrating with the other endorsed Democratic candidates at the Hampton Inn.

“I think we have some repairing to do,” said Mello, who received the next-highest total of votes, with 3,908.

Sylvia, who was in fifth place with 3.371 votes, declined to comment for this story. He was criticized for his role as head of the attorney general’s narcotics strike force in the early 1990s. It was disbanded after allegations that its members had tampered with evidence. Sylvia was never charged in the scandal.

This year’s conflicts began after the Democratic Town Committee didn’t endorse Rodrigues and Mello and political newcomers Forgue and Sylvia. Since then, charges of campaign misconduct have flown back and forth.

Most recently, the police are trying to figure out who left fliers detailing a 2004 police report of an argument between Rodrigues and his former wife, who did not press charges against Rodrigues in the incident.

Lt. Robert Nutt said the fliers violate a state law prohibiting the distribution of unsigned materials which criticize political candidates, and that the department is looking for video surveillance of the areas in which the fliers were passed out.