By Beth David, Editor
Fairhaven voters go to the polls on June 9 for local elections. In addition to voting on candidates for all town-wide offices and Town Meeting members, voters will also decide three ballot questions: one to adopt a town Charter, one to approve a Proposition 2 1/2 override, and one to remove police and firefighters from Civil Service (CS).
The union members for fire and police were subject to Civil Service rules after a ballot question passed in 1953. Town Meeting voted to remove them from CS, and town officials believed they had been removed. But they can only be removed with a town-wide vote, the same way CS was adopted. A few years ago the unions agreed to the change in exchange for a larger raise.
The override question will ask voters to allow the town to assess an additional $649,178 in property taxes for public safety wages, Tourism/Community Service wages and operating expenses, public works/highway wages and education, and Fairhaven public schools (see page 12).
The town will also be asked to accept the Charter of the Town of Fairhaven, which was passed at last year’s Annual Town Meeting in May.
The state approved the language on Monday, and the Select Board voted to have it on the ballot.
The Charter clarifies the roles of the SB and Town Administrator; changes the number of Planning Board members from 8 to 9; changes the number of School Committee members from 6 to 5.
The local town election will be on Tuesday, 6/9/26, with polls open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last day to register to vote is Friday, 5/29, at 5 p.m. All precincts vote at the Recreation Center, 227 Huttleston Avenue.
Contact the Town Clerk’s office at 508-979-4023, for more information. The office is located at Fairhaven Town Hall, 40 Center Street, and is open Mon.–Fri. at 7:30 a.m., until 6 p.m. on Mondays, until 4;30 p.m. Tues.–Thurs., and until 11:30 a.m. on Fridays, except on deadline days when they are open until 5.
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