Incumbents Win Poorly Attended Lanesborough Election
Moderator Robert Reilly was one of just two candidates on the ballot to campaign - the other was Selectman Henry "Hank" Sayers. Neither had opponents.
Just 222 of the town's 2,286 registered voters made it to the polls — which beat town meeting's attendance of 93 voters — on Tuesday.
But, there wasn't much to vote on either. All of the seats up for re-election were incumbents and the few ballot questions had little significance in town operations.
The lack of interest from candidates actually created somewhat of a race for the Finance Committee. Incumbent Christine Galib did not return nomination papers for a three-year term. But neither did anybody else.
Jodi Szczepaniak-Locke won the seat through write-ins, and David Vogel came in second with 35 votes. In the last few elections, write-in campaigns have become a trend, often launched after the due date for nomination papers eclipses and a seat has no candidates whatsoever.
For rest of the ballot, Henry "Hank" Sayers is back on the Board of Selectmen for a three-year term after receiving 163 votes. Outside of Town Hall on Tuesday, Sayers and Moderator Robert Reilly were the only two candidates campaigning even though neither had an opponent. Reilly will return to his position for another year after receiving 176 votes.
School Committee Chairwoman Regina DiLego will return for three years with 126 votes; Sherri Wilson will return as a library trustee for three years; Jeff Dechaine was re-elected for five more years on the Planning Board with 188 votes. All of those races were uncontested.
And Amy Szczepaniak received 175 votes for a three-year term on the Cemetery Commission, another uncontested race. Szczepaniak will be the last name on a ballot for Cemetery Commission as voters also approved a ballot question to change the posts from elected ones to appointed ones.
The town has had trouble finding candidates for the commission in the past and the Board of Selectmen has been looking to change such positions to appointed to help ensure the seats are filled. Voters approved the change to appointed by a 121-91 vote margin.
Voters also overwhelming approved allowing the Highway Department to appropriate money to remove snow and ice from private ways which are used by the public.
But the question that had the most voters responding was the question of least consequence. Finance Committee Chairman Ray Jones had pushed for a ballot question asking voters if the town should switch the health insurance split between retirees and the town from 85 percent and 15 percent to 70 percent and 30 percent. That passed by a 138-71 margin.
However, the question is not only non-binding but the change is not possible. The Board of Selectmen is the sole authority to make that change but Sayers and Chairman John Goerlach both have conflicts of interest. Goerlach has worked for the town in the past and is eligible for the insurance when he retires and Sayers has a relative currently working for the town. Those two make up two-thirds of the Board of Selectmen, so there aren't enough votes to enact the change.
The question was placed on the ballot by Jones to see how townspeople felt on the issue. But, with only 9 percent of the registered voters casting an opinion and only 6 percent of the voters in favor of the change, the question doesn't provide much of an insight on the townspeople's thoughts on that either.
Tags: election 2017, town elections,
