Marion voters elected to adopt all four of its ballot questions on May 17, making Marion the first of the Tri-Towns to vote in favor of the $2 million Old Rochester Regional artificial turf, track, and auditorium project.
The Proposition 2 ½ exemption, Question 5 on the ballot, garnered 660 ‘yes’ votes versus the 323 ‘no’ votes.
The authorization to borrow the $2 million is contingent upon all three towns passing the ballot question, and since it passed on Tuesday in Mattapoisett, Rochester will hold a Special Election on July 10, as Town Meeting voters adopted the warrant article on Monday.
Question 1 to change the town clerk position from elected to appointed easily passed with 687 in favor and 258 opposed, which means when current Town Clerk Ray Pickles’ term expires in 2020, that position will not appear on the annual election ballot.
Pickles was noticeably absent from his duty to oversee the polls at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center Friday night, which was just days after Town Meeting voted to defund his salary for this next fiscal year.
Question 2 passed by another wide margin, 675-274, to allow for a one-year capital outlay exclusion to fund a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan. Taxpayers will be assessed a one-time, one-year tax increase of roughly $121 for the average property valued at $600,000.
Question 3 passed by a significant margin as well, 562-401, allowing the Town to borrow $470,000 to fund the outsourcing of curbside trash collection. Adoption of the warrant article nullified Question 4 on the ballot, which asked to borrow $582,090 to purchase a new rubbish packer.
Planning Board incumbent Will Saltonstall came out ahead in the four-way race for two open seats on the board, garnering 775 votes. Joseph Rocha won the second seat with 342 votes, beating Barry Gaffey, 203 votes, and William do Carmo, 130 votes.
In the race for Board of Assessors, Catherine Gibbs beat Barry Gaffey, 631 to 229 votes, respectively.
The results of the uncontested races were as follows: for Board of Selectmen, John Waterman, 840 votes; for Moderator, Brad Gordon, 826 votes; for Board of Health, Edward Hoffer, 753 votes; for Tree Warden, Russell Gunschel, 787 votes; for Marion School Committee, Nicole Daniel, 750 votes; for Open Space Acquisition Commission (two seats), Casey Gunschel, 661 votes, and John Rockwell, 545 votes.
Marion Annual Town Election
By Jean Perry