Above: Candidates (and supporters) were seeking voter support last night. Here’s how they did. (photo by Beth Melo)
Last night, I reported who won the annual Town Election. Now, I’m digging into the results to share the highlights.
The four contests helped to draw a larger turnout than usual. 1,065 residents cast ballots. That’s just 14% of registered voters. But it’s a significant bump from the 677 who voted last year when the only Southborough contest was for the Planning Board.
It’s also higher than the 914 who voted 2021 when two candidates competed for one seat on the Select Board. (In both the 2021 and 2022 elections there was also a contested race for the Northborough member of the Regional School Committee.)
This year, the highest vote getter in all of the contests was Marguerite Landry for Select Board with 677 votes. 64% of voters selected Landry from the five potential candidates for the two seats. Al Hamilton was supported by 58% to take the second seat.
Brett Peters came in 3rd place with 27%, followed by David Parry (18%) and Bena Phillipo (12%).
In the race for two seats on the School Committee, newcomer Zhi Li won 59% of votes. Chelsea Malinowski secured the second seat with 55%. Joanna Sheyner only captured 49%. (There were also 388 “blanks”.)
Lisa Braccio captured 63% of the votes for Planning Board vs. Michael Weishan’s 32%.
Sam Stivers won 52% of the race for the Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds to replace incumbent Bill Boland who only received 39% of the votes.
In uncontested races, the top vote getter was Town Clerk Jim Hegarty with 932 ovals filled in for him.
You can view the full unofficial results here.
I would like to congratulate all of those that won their election and an extra thanks to those who took the time to run and give the residents of Southborough a choice. It created great discussion and debate, which always is a sign of true democracy. And was a pleasure to spend time getting to know all of you a little better.
To all of the residents that came out and voted for me, I am truly humbled and grateful. I will work hard for the trust you have placed in me. I am excited at the opportunity to serve with some dedicated members already on Planning Board.
And a huge THANK YOU to Andrew Mills for all of his many years of service to Southborough, I have big shoes to fill. He truly helped to make Southborough a better place for us all.
I too would like to thank all those who ran in this election. We had some fun times (Landry, Hamiliton, Weishan and Co) standing there for 12 hours straight! (At one point, we were actually creating “Town Meeting, the Musical.”) But I digress: I would also add one more truly important point. The last six years have probably shown us the worst governance we have ever had in Southborough. Debased ethical standards resulting in the suspension of road monies from the state; huge public waste of your hard-earned dollars; a DPW in disgrace; and taxes out of control, with more hits to come. I would urge you all to keep an eye on the dial. These next years are not going to be pretty. As they say on the plane: “be careful when opening overhead bins: shift happens.” God bless and thank you to all!
I’ve noticed you never pass up an opportunity to denigrate the DPW, in broad terms. It leaves the impression to uninformed people, or newcomers to the town, that the entire department is dysfunctional. Nothing could be further from reality. I’ve lived here long enough to know that it is staffed with many well meaning and helpful folks, with whom I’ve personally had many interactions when I needed assistance. As such I found your comment disrespectful of those hard working folks trying to do their best every day in service to the Town.
Sincerely,
Andre, if you talk to some of the people who work there they will be the first to tell you that the place is upside down. (And I agree, the staff is wonderful.) Yet the fact remains the former director did not up and suddenly quit because she was doing a wonderful job. Years of mismanagement, which included a decade of landfilling our recycling, roads in disrepair, unfinished projects, unfulfilled promises, a million in tax revenue wasted to move an intersection and build a park no one wanted, and now a plan to widen Cordaville Road and destroy homeowners properties for over a mile. Yep, I think it is fair to paint that department with pretty broad negative strokes, along with its oversight committee that refuses to function. I look forward to the new director, and sincerely hope change comes quickly.
Words are powerful. Words can unite and inspire. Words and phrases that are hurtful reveal much about the person using them.
You may be unaware that some of the terms you use are disrespectful and harmful. You may be unaware that constant belittlement and criticism of others gives the impression you don’t think you make mistakes.
You make mistakes Michael.
Everyone makes mistakes Karen. Some rise to the level of nuisance, others to the level of tragedy, such as when one of our most historic homes on Main Street is torn down on a whim to build a monument to self grandeur. But as they say: to err is human, to forgive, divine.
I want to thank all those that came out to vote, whather they voted for me or not. I will do my best to be worthy of the trust and responsibility the voters have bestowed on me.
Thank you again
Al Hamilton
Congratulations to the winners. May you serve us well.