Results incomplete in several locations
Voters in many local cities and towns headed to the polls Tuesday to decide a variety of issues.
While no statewide issues were on the ballot, voters in various towns decided whether to approve town warrant items about firetrucks, legal fees, a charter commission and alcohol consumption.
In some towns, there were contested races for local boards or road commissioner.
AUGUSTA
City voters picked a new city councilor and a new school board member.
The races for both seats were uncontested.
Dan Emery, a former city councilor, was the only candidate for an at-large position on the council made vacant when David Rollins, who previously held that at-large seat, was elected mayor. Emery was elected to the position with 454 votes.
Edward Hastings was the only candidate for an at-large position on the school board, a position vacated when Kimberly Martin, who held the post before, was elected chairwoman of the school board. Hastings was elected with 432 votes.
There were a total of 501 voters, which represents about 4 percent of the city’s registered voters, according to officials.
FARMINGDALE
In a race for a seat on the Board of Selectmen, Wayne Kilgore, who has served on the Planning Board since 2013, defeated Doug Ebert, a former selectman, by a vote of 154-113.
Kilgore, 62, served for the last two years on the Planning Board and said several people encouraged him to run for selectman this year. Kilgore is a warranty analyst for Milton CAT in Scarborough and manages several commercial properties in the Augusta area for his father.
Ebert, 42, service manager at Charlie’s Motor Mall in Augusta and a captain in the town’s volunteer Fire Department, served on the board from 2011 to 2014, when he lost a re-election bid to Nancy Frost, 163-119.
Farmingdale’s Town Meeting, when residents will vote on the town’s budget, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday in the Hall-Dale High School theater.
FAYETTE
Jon Beekman was running unopposed for re-election to a three-year seat on the Board of Selectmen. Diane Polky, current vice chairwoman, and Rachael Holland were seeking the two three-year seats on the School Board. No candidate was listed on the ballot for a one-year seat to finish out Jennifer Bero’s term.
Results were unavailable Tuesday evening.
HALLOWELL
Voters agreed to form a commission to review Hallowell’s charter, a decision prompted last year as councilors considered the employee appointment process outlined in the guiding document. The proposal passed by a vote of 155-33.
The mayor and the city manager now split the role of appointing city officials somewhat awkwardly. For example, the mayor picks the city clerk and the fire chief, while the manager picks the police chief and city attorney, with all appointments ratified by councilors. City Manager Michael Starn has called that “archaic.”
Voters on Tuesday decided to pick one commission member from each of Hallowell’s five wards in the November election, while councilors get to select three members.
LITCHFIELD
There were no local contested races.
Voters rejected the Regional School Unit 4 budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year by a vote of 163-94. The proposed budget was up $705,000 to nearly $19 million. Litchfield’s share of that budget would be $3.6 million, or $451,000 more than this year.
MANCHESTER
All positions were uncontested.
Dawn Kliphan, with 144 votes, and Jeremy Pare, with 187, each earned a spot on the Board of Selectmen; Pia Holmes, 143 votes, and Alexander Wright, 65, each earned one of two spots representing Manchester on the Regional School Unit 38 School Board; and Warren Foster, 162 votes, and James Nevins, 173, were each elected to Sanitary District Trustee positions.
There were no declared candidates for two available spots on the Manchester Elementary School Advisory Committee.
MONMOUTH
Voters chose a new selectman and agreed to purchase two firetrucks.
Incumbent Harold Jones III was unseated by Sandra Schiller for a seat on the Board of Selectmen. Schiller tallied 203 votes to Jones’ 184.
Edmund Zuis, who got 331 votes, and Kristin Sanborn, who got 362, were elected to the Regional School Unit 2 board of directors and the Cumston Library Trustees, respectively, in uncontested races.
Voters adopted all 28 articles during the referendum-style Town Meeting, which included a proposal to enter into lease-purchase agreements for two firetrucks. The move will allow the department to pull three aging trucks out of service, including a 1988 pumper, a 2001 pumper and a 2008 heavy rescue truck.
Voters also agreed to borrow $131,000 toward creating a sidewalk on Academy Road from Main Street to the Henry Cottrell School. The money will lock in a $525,000 Department of Transportation grant.
Overall spending in the 2015-16 fiscal year municipal budget is down $39,000 from this year. Town Manager Curtis Lunt has said revenue from the state is expected to increase by $33,000. Thus the total to be raised by property taxes to support the municipal budget, $1.88 million, is down more than $50,000 from this year.
MOUNT VERNON
Clyde Dyar was running for reelection to a three-year seat on the Select Board, on which he is currently chairman. Patricia Jackson and Michael Apolito, who were both filling vacancies, were running for election.
Results were unavailable Tuesday evening.
Jackson was seeking election to a three-year seat and Apolito a two-year seat. A one-year seat is available, but no candidates have come forward.
Jeff Kent is retiring as road commissioner, and Lee Dunn and Brett Roberts were seeking the one-year position.
Rachel Meader ran unopposed for re-election as town clerk and tax collector, and Martha Gross sought re-election as treasurer, all one-year terms.
RICHMOND
Local elections, including races for two selectmen’s seats and one school board position, were uncontested on Tuesday’s ballot.
Gary Poulin and O’Neil LaPlante were the only candidates for two available spots as selectmen.
Russell Hughes was the only candidate seeking to represent Richmond on the Regional School Unit 2 school board on a two-year term.
Jay Brown was the only candidate seeking to represent Richmond on the Regional School Unit 2 school board on a three-year term.
There are were uncontested elections for two seats on the Richmond Utilities District and two positions on the Budget Committee.
Results were unavailable Tuesday evening.
WAYNE
Voters were set to decide whether to spend $15,000 for legal fees associated with “quieting the title” of a 118-acre parcel of land on Wilson Pond that the town acquired through nonpayment of taxes.
Two articles asked residents if they want to allow the sale of alcohol for consumption on premises. One article allowed the practice Monday through Saturday and the second allowed sales on Sunday.
Results were unavailable Tuesday evening.
WINDSOR
Voters were deciding whether to borrow $350,000 to buy a new firetruck in a secret ballot vote.
Results were unavailable Tuesday evening.
Windsor Volunteer Fire Department officials have proposed purchasing a new pumper truck with a six-person cab to replace a 28-year-old truck they said is due for replacement because of its age and deteriorating condition.
The truck could cost up to $410,000. The purchase, if approved, would be funded by the $350,000 in requested borrowing, $50,000 from a fire safety capital reserve fund, and $10,000 from the fire department’s fundraising account.
Voters also were set to elect municipal and school officials, though all races were uncontested.
Daniel Gordon and Ray Bates were running for two selectmen’s seats.
There were five positions up for election on the Budget Committee with only one declared candidate, Christopher Haiss, for any of the positions, leaving the rest to potentially be filled by write-ins.
Gerry Nault was the only candidate to represent Windsor on the Regional School Unit 12 committee.
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