Voters in at least two Island towns will see contested races for town selectmen when they head to the ballot box this April.
Races are shaping up in Oak Bluffs and Tisbury, two of four Island towns that finalize their annual town election ballots this week. Others towns have no contested races.
Town elections for Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and West Tisbury will be Thursday, April 16. Tisbury’s town election is Tuesday, April 28.
In Oak Bluffs, five candidates are vying for two seats on the board of selectmen, the only contested race on the ballot. Incumbents Kathleen Burton and Gregory Coogan and newcomers Brian Packish, Abraham Seiman, and Raymond Taylor are all in the running.
Mr. Packish is a member of the town planning board. Mr. Seiman and Mr. Taylor are both members of the finance and advisory committee; Mr. Taylor is also seeking re-election to the finance committee.
Tisbury’s ballot features two candidates for one spot on the board of selectmen, but no incumbents are in the mix. Selectman Jonathan Snyder, whose first term ends this year, is not seeking re-election.
Frank Brunelle and Larry Gomez are running to fill Mr. Snyder’s spot. Mr. Gomez is the current chair of the finance and advisory committee.
Mr. Brunelle is also seeking a spot on the town planning board. There are two vacancies. Current planning board members Benjamin Robinson and Daniel Seidman are up for re-election.
In Edgartown, there is just one contested race, for parks commissioner. Kevin Searle is running against incumbent Joel Graves.
Arthur Smadbeck is running unopposed for his eighth term on the board of selectmen.
There are two candidates, Morton Feary and Paulo DeOliveira, running for three positions on the finance and advisory committee.
There are no contested races in West Tisbury.
“That’s not unusual,” West Tisbury town clerk Tara Whiting said Monday. This is the third year in a row that there are no contested races in the town. Incumbents are running for every West Tisbury race, with the exception of two new candidates running for the library trustees. Selectman Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter 3rd is running unopposed for his fifth term on the board.
Nomination papers were due Wednesday in Chilmark for the town's election on April 29. There are no contested races and selectman Bill Rossi is running for a second term on the board.
Aquinnah's town election is May 12; those interested in running must submit papers by April 8.
Comments (4)
Comments
Comment policy »