CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Voters will be asked to fill the vacant seat on the Select Board in a special election this December. 

 

Board member Ronald Boucher submitted his letter of resignation two weeks ago with nearly 2 1/2 years left on his term. The board on Wednesday morning set a date of Tuesday, Dec. 7, to elect his replacement. 

 

Luchi said the winner in the special election will serve until the annual town election in May, when the final two years of the term will be on the ballot. 

 

The three-person board has frequently had only two members in the past because of resignations. Seven years ago, a two-person board was at a stalemate over hiring a town administrator until the annual town election brought the board back up to three. 

 

Luchi and board member Allen Arnold said they did not want to get into a position of not being able to make a decision.

 

"We all discuss things and work well together but we can always go into a deadlock and it's just good to have that third person," said Luchi. 

 

Luchi, as vice chairman, had been sworn in as chairman last week but the board formally reorganized on Wednesday morning. She said town counsel had advised it was automatic for the vice chair to step up but "because there was concern from some community members," it was decided to take a vote Wednesday. 

 

The board also went into executive session to discuss negotiations with the town administrator. Rebecca Stone's three-year contract is up in October 2022. Boucher had given her a verbal warning at the last meeting prior to his resignation. 

 

The session on the contract was preceded by another executive session on the "reputation, character, physical condition, or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual." No one else was in attendance other than the board and administrative assistant when the executive sessions started. The board said it would not be taking a vote when it came out of the executive sessions.