By Beth David, Editor
As of press time this week, the Fairhaven Select Board race had seven people pull papers for the three available seats, with five them returning papers with the required signatures to be on the ballot. The newcomer this week is John Farrell, who currently sits on the Planning Board, with his term expiring this year. He has not pulled papers for that seat. This Thursday, 2/10, is the last day to get request nomination papers for the 4/4 election. They will all have to be returned by 2/14.
We also have a contested race for Board of Health, with two people taking out papers for one seat.
Steve Riley, Cameron Durant and Cathy Melanson had not returned papers as of press time. Leon Correy, Charles Murphy Sr., and incumbent Stasia Powers, have returned them.
Incumbent Peter DeTerra has taken out papers and returned them with the required signatures for his seat on the Board of Health. Heidi Hacking has also taken out papers for that seat and returned them on 1/28.
School Committee incumbents Kyle Bueno and Erik Andersen have both taken out papers for their seats, and both have returned them. Cathleen Marchessault has also taken out papers for School Committee, but had not returned them as of press time.
Planning Board has two seats up for election. Sharon Simmons has taken out papers for one of those seats, but had not returned them by press time. No one has taken out papers for the other seat;.
Incumbent Barbara Acksen has taken out papers for her seat as a Commissioner of Trust Funds; Louise Ponte has taken out papers for the seat she holds on the Commission, which is an unexpired term she was appointed to recently. Neither one has returned papers.
On the Board of Public Works, only the unexpired term held by Steven Riley is up for election. He indicated to the Select Board when he was appointed that it was unlikely he would run for the seat in 2022. Ronnie Medina has taken out papers for the BPW seat, but has not returned them.
Acting town clerk Linda Fredette has taken out papers for her seat; and Gary F. Souza has taken out papers for Housing Authority. Both have reeturned them
Next year, three seats will be on the ballot for the Select Board. The seat now held by Stasia Powers will be up for re-election as scheduled, and two new seats will also be on the ballot. The person with the most votes will serve three years, the second place person will serve two years, the third place person will serve one year before needing to run again. After this year, all seats will be three year terms. Town Meeting voted in 2021 to increase the number of seats on the SB to five, from three, and the Mass. state legislature voted to enact the change.
The Annual Town Election will be held on Monday, April 4, 2022. Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Deadline to register to vote is 3/15/22.
You may register to vote any day from 8:30 a.m.–4:30p.m. Monday– Friday. Mail-in Voter Registration Forms are available at the Town Clerk’s Office, the Millicent Library and State and Federal offices.
2022 Town Election Seats
• Town Clerk, 3 Years, One seat, Linda Fredette, incumbent
• Select Board: 3 Years, One seat, Stasia A. Powers incumbent
2 Years, One, Vacant (New)
1 Year, One, Vacant (New)
• School Committee 3 Years, Two seats, Kyle Bueno and Erik Andersen incumbents
• Board of Health, 3 Years, One seat, Peter Deterra incumbent
• Commissioner of Trust Funds, 3 Years, One seat, Barbara Acksen incumbent
1 Year (unexpired term), One seat, Vacant
• Board of Public Works, 3 Years, One, G. Steven Riley incumbent
• Planning Board, 4 Years, Two, Geoffrey Haworth II and John Farrell incumbents
• Housing Authority, 5 Years, One seat, Marc Scanlon incumbent
Where do I vote?
The Town of Fairhaven Precinct Boundary Map can be found at (https://www.fairhaven-ma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3131/f/uploads/fairhaven2010.pdf). This map will be updated with the 2020 Census Re-precincting information as soon as we receive the final approved information from the State.
• Precinct one: Town Hall, 40 Center Street
• Precincts two and three: Elizabeth Hastings Middle School, 30 School Street
• Precinct four: Fire Station Meeting Room, 146 Washington Street
• Precincts five and six, Recreation Center, 227 Huttleston Avenue
For information on registering to vote, visit https://www.fairhaven-ma.gov/town-clerk/pages/voter-resources or call the Town Clerk at (508) 979-4023 ext. 3
For more information on Fairhaven’s local election, visit https://www.fairhaven-ma.gov/town-clerk/pages/election-resources or call the Town Clerk at 508-979-4023 ext. 3
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