Voters in three Island turns came out to the polls Thursday for annual town elections. West Tisbury voted against a tax override for school spending, while Edgartown voters approved several spending requests. Oak Bluffs re-elected incumbent selectmen and said yes to keeping fluoride in the town water supply.
Voters turnout was fairly low Thursday in each of the towns. In Oak Bluffs, a five-way race for two seats on the board of selectmen brought out 1,021 voters, 28 per cent of registered voters.
Gregory Coogan was elected to his fifth term on the board of selectmen, and Kathleen Burton was elected to her third term. Mr. Coogan received 531 votes and Ms. Burton received 509 votes.
Planning board chairman Brian Packish came in a close third with 501 votes. Raymond Taylor and Abraham Seiman, both members of the finance and advisory committee, received 301 and 98 votes respectively.
“I think the voters came out in huge numbers. I’m grateful,” Mr. Coogan said after the results were announced Thursday night. “I’ve been working on a lot of things, and I want to complete those and work on some more.”
“I’m very happy to be re-elected, and look forward to serving the community,” Ms. Burton said. “There was a big turnout and we all worked very hard to get out the vote. They came out, and it was reflected in the numbers.”
A large majority of voters voted in favor of continuing to add fluoride to the town water supply. The vote was 281 in favor of ceasing fluoridation and 646 against; the question was non-binding.
The town has been adding fluoride to the town water supply since 1991, and is the only town on the Island to do so.
Elected without contest in Oak Bluffs were Jesse B. Law 3rd, cemetery commission, 763 (top vote getter); William A. White, board of health, 762; Allan A. deBettencourt Sr., park commission, 746; Robert W. (Bo) Fehl, planning board, 670; Kristine A. O'Brien, school committee, 706; Raymond Taylor, finance and advisory committee, 729; Jason M. Balboni, finance and advisory committee, 710; Steven Auerbach, finance and advisory committee, 669; Robert V. Huss, finance and advisory committee (one year term), 693; Joseph M. deBettencourt, tree warden, 754; Hans O. von Steiger, wastewater commission, 664; Nelson S. Oliver, water district commission, 765.
West Tisbury voters had a mixed reaction to spending requests on the ballot Thursday.
Debt exclusions that would allow the town to exceed the tax levy limit to fund repairs to the West Tisbury school and to contribute to a new Center for Living building both got a thumbs up from voters; the school repairs passed 206-145 and the county building was narrowly approved, 180-171.
But West Tisbury voters did not support allowing the town to assess an additional $300,000 in taxes to fund the Up-Island regional school district budget; that request failed 146-206. Voters also turned down a request for an additional $80,000 to fund playground renovations at the West Tisbury School, 119-219.
A total of 384 ballots were cast in West Tisbury, about 16 per cent of registered voters.
Selectman Jeffrey S. (Skipper) Manter was easily elected to his fifth term on the board of selectmen with 284 votes. Benoit Baldwin, who was running a write-in campaign, received 20 votes.
Elected without contest were Dan Waters, moderator, 334 (top vote getter); Timothy A. Barnett, board of health, 294; Michael Colaneri, board of assessors, 261; Brent B. Taylor, tax collector, 286; Tara J. Whiting, town clerk, 322; Jeremiah Armstrong Brown, tree warden, 299; Caroline R. Flanders, library trustee, 281; Margaret H. Gallagher, library trustee, 268; Gregory W. Orcutt, finance committee, 285; Susan S. Silva, planning board, 288; Leah J. Smith, planning board, 279; Timothy A. Barnett, constable, 286; Lisa Amois, parks and recreation, 277; Jeffrey S. (Skipper) Manter, parks and recreation, 276.
In Edgartown's sole contested race on the ballot, Kevin L. Searle unseated incumbent parks commissioner Joel M. Graves, 233 votes to 186.
Fred D. Mascolo was re-elected to the planning board with 261 votes. Carl Malmquist, who ran a write-in campaign, received 97 votes.
Voters decided in favor of a project to pave Meetinghouse Way for $755,000, 254-214. Voters also backed a debt exemption for the paving project, and for the county to purchase a building for the Center for Living, 354-108. A debt exemption for a new schools administration building also passed, 284-175.
About 15 per cent of Edgartown's registered voters, 485 people, came to the polls Thursday.
Arthur Smadbeck was elected without contest to his eighth term on the board of selectmen with 366 votes.
Elected without contest were Laurence A. Mercier, board of assessors, 395; E. Garrett Orazem, board of health, 395; Scott Ellis, constable, 404; Morton Fearey Jr., financial advisory committee, 300; Paulo C. DeOliveira, financial advisory commitee, 301; Herbert L. Foster, library trustees, 353; Julie L. Lively, library trustees, 326; Philip J. Norton Jr., moderator, 410 (top vote getter); Megan E. Anderson, school committee, 356; Melissa Kuehne, town collector, 391; Sean E. Murphy, wastewater commission, 368; James E. Kelleher, water commission, 365.
Robert Coad received 78 write-in votes for a vacant spot on the financial advisory committee.
Steve Myrick contributed reporting.
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