With a decisive vote, Stephen Gonsalves was elected to the Marion Board of Selectmen on May 13, beating opponent and fellow Planning Board and Conservation Commission member Norman Hills 686-413.
“It’s very humbling. Wow,” said Gonsalves. “When I sat down and heard the numbers, I nearly fell off my chair.”
Gonsalves said he was speechless on Friday night after winning by such a significant number of votes.
“Their vote is a very precious thing,” said Gonsalves. “The best thing an American can receive is a person’s vote, and it is precious. They’re saying they trust me, and I really appreciate that.”
Gonsalves, a local owner of a gardening business, will now fill the empty seat of outgoing selectman of 12 years, Jonathan Henry, who chose this year not to run for re-election.
Henry instead ran for Planning Board this election as one of five candidates but was unsuccessful in his attempt. He lost to William Saltonstall and returning Planning Board member Stephen Kokkins.
Jerry “Rico” Ferrari lost his current seat on the Planning Board, and newcomer William do Carmo failed to garner enough support for his first run. The results were: Ferrari 197, do Carmo 65, Henry 498, Kokkins 507, and Saltonstall 673.
For Board of Health, voters replaced founding member of 23 years Albin Johnson with Jason Reynolds, a pediatrician who once sat on the Board of Health years ago.
The Open Spaces Acquisition Committee incumbents Randy Parker (691 votes) and John Rockwell (577 votes) both won another term, beating Rico Ferrari (399 votes).
Running unopposed, Bradford Eames was voted assessor, 859 votes; Jeffrey Dickerson for town moderator, 833 votes; Christine Marcolini for Marion School Committee, 801 votes; and Heather Burke for ORR School Committee, 826 votes.
The ballot question to fund the ORR capital plan via a Proposition 2½ exemption passed, 594-370.
By Jean Perry