When the smoke cleared on October 4, 2025, at Old Rochester Regional High School, site of Mattapoisett’s historic, one-article Special Town Meeting, more than 500 voters slowly poured out the doors and into what remained of a brilliant fall day. They had shown up in numbers almost never seen at town meetings, and they had participated in what was dubbed the purest of democratic activities – a town meeting.
Voters came out to say “yes,” we want a five-member Select Board or “no,” three is working fine. They came to either affirm what the May Town Meeting had voted – for a five-member board (subsequently becoming law in August after it was processed through the state legislature) – or to try and unwind the May 12 Town Meeting vote.
Paul Criscuolo, author of the Special Town Meeting Citizens’ Petition and president of the Mattapoisett Republican Committee, told the audience that voters had prevailed upon him to write a Citizens’ Petition challenging the May vote. He and his supporters believed that the May vote had been somehow flawed because so many voters had left the meeting after Article 33 passed, leaving some voters unable to voice their position.
Before proceedings could begin, however, long lines waited up to 30 minutes to check in. The meeting began 37 minutes late.
Criscuolo said that voters on that May night had not had sufficient time to weigh Article 34 or ask questions of the petitioners. He said that the vote was “called” from the floor which stopped the debate. Those in favor of keeping a three-member board felt the author of Article 34 had rushed the vote that ultimately was in favor of a five-member Select Board.
The supporters of Article 34 held that an expanded Select Board would bring greater diversity, would tap into heretofore untapped talent that could help the town and bring greater diversity to the decision-making process.
Criscuolo and his supporters believed the change would bring chaos to the Select Board process, and possibly less coherence to complicated issues and projects facing the town.
In August, the legislature affirmed Article 34, making it a law.
Nicki Demakis defended the May vote. In her comments to the voters, Demakis asked for a subsidiary motion to indefinitely postpone voting on this new petition. The vote was called. The debate was over, and the motion to permanently postpone was passed, 317-218.
In a follow-up, Criscuolo said it was unclear what the way forward should be but that focusing on the elections to come was a priority.
Demakis was also thinking about the future elections, saying, “there is a lot to be done both locally and for the mid-terms. She said she was aware of several residents interested in running for the Select Board. She hoped to hold an informal meeting that would explain to potential candidates what the responsibilities are for various municipal positions.
In a follow up, Town Administrator Mike Lorenco indicated that the election of new Select Board members will be a staggered process. The candidate receiving the most votes will be given a three-year term. Subsequent elections will be held on an annual basis.