Randy Parker took the seat of the Marion Select Board in the May 17 Town Election held at the Cushing Community Center, according to preliminary figures. Parker won with 572 votes, leaving challenger Diane Lopes-Flaherty well behind with 248 votes. Parker is set to serve another three-year term on the Select Board.
In a voice call on Monday afternoon, Parker said voters stopped and talked with him outside about the roads.
“That seemed to be front and center with the people I spoke with on Friday,” he said.
Parker has served on the Select Board since 2018. During his time, he has helped see through renovations of the Town House, helped secure a school resource officer for Sippican Elementary School and worked on taxpayer credibility.
Presently, Parker says he is focused on “incorporating the comfort-dog program with the Police Department, reducing the speed limit to 25 (miles per hour) in town (Article 32) and construction of the Department of Public Works facility.”
Lopes-Flaherty was unable to attend the polls on Election Day due to a family commitment.
There were 31 blank ballots and two write-in votes for Select Board.
Marion School Committee members April Nye and Michelle Smith kept their seats with 560 and 413 votes, respectively. Challenger Kristina Callina finished with 389 votes in an unsuccessful bid to unseat one of the incumbents.
Tom Friedman garnered 14 write-in votes that will result in him being offered the one open seat on the Open Space Acquisition Commission for a three-year term. Friedman presently serves on the Marion Energy Management Committee.
Uncontested races from the election included the following incumbents re-elected: Dr. John Howard to the Board of Health, Jon Henry and Alanna Nelson to the Planning Board, George TJ Walker to the Board of Assessors and Brad Gordon as town moderator.
Question 1 on the ballot asked if the town should pay for the final design and construction of the Department of Public Works facility. The question passed with some contention, votes tallying 492-289. Question 2 asked if the town should be responsible for the renovation and repairs costs to Old Rochester Regional High School, passing 483-271.
According to Town Clerk Lissa Magauran, 838 out of 4,540 Marion residents filled out ballots.
The Wanderer reported on February 23 that the town had mailed out 644 Vote by Mail ballots, out of which a small percentage had been received by the clerk.
Marion Town Election
By Jared Melanson