Just 2,021 of the town’s 15,918 registered voters turned out for the March 11 election, and those voters approved a $4 million school maintenance bond 1,235 to 736, 2.7 percent above the 60 percent required for passage. Last year, a similar bond measure came in 11 votes shy of the required 60 percent.
Of the four candidates seeking the two seats open on the Town Council, incumbents Joe Green was reelected with 1,037 votes and Tom Freda with 832 votes. John Robinson had 822 votes, and Chris Melcher had 732 votes.
“I’m very honored that the town gave me three more years, and there’s a lot more to do,” Green said. “I couldn’t walk away from everything we’ve done – we’ve made a lot of changes over the past eight months and I would have felt that I would be walking away from something half done and I’ve never done that in my life, so I was really happy they made the choice to have me continue. I take the responsibility really seriously and I’m going to work really hard to represent the citizens of the town the best way I can.”
“It was great that we had over 2,000 people voting,” Freda said. “I hope next time that the turnout will be larger. It was great to see a number of young, first time voters from the high school going to the polls. I thank all of those that came out to vote and those that supported me in my re-election.”
Sherry Farrell won a three-way race for Town Clerk/Tax Collector with 740 votes. Also in the race were Adriana Komst with 595 votes and Deborah Shimkonis Nowicki with 373 votes.
“As I said from the beginning, the people of Londonderry could not have lost with any one of the three candidates that were running,” said Farrell, whose husband, John, chairs the Town Council. “Any one of us would have been a great choice. I am so honored that I was elected into the position and I’m so grateful to the people that came out to vote. I’m eager to get started.”
Article 2 on the town warrant passed 1432 to 431, which makes the Town Clerk/Tax Collector position good for one year rather than three. Next year, Farrell will be Town Clerk only, with town staff absorbing the Tax Collector duties.
Two open seats on the Trustees of Leach Library were filled by Melissa Coffey with 1,051 votes and Cynthia Peterson with 949 votes. Ray Brown received 619 votes.
Cindi Rice Conley, who had no challengers, was reelected Town Moderator with 1511 votes.
While three Budget Committee seats were open, only Dana Coons was on the ballot. He received 1382 votes. Write-ins Greg Warner received 50 votes and Tim Siekmann received 10 votes.
An open seat on the Trustees of Trust Funds was filled by Vicki Stachowske, who received 10 write-in votes.
Winning election to the two seats on the Supervisors of the Checklist were Christine Tighe, for a two-year term, 1495 votes, and Anne Warner, for a six-year term, 1466 votes.
The only warrant articles that did not pass were Article 12, a citizen’s petition that called for the transfer of management of the Town Forest from the Conservation Commission to the Town Manager, failing 855 to 1026, and Article 13, a resolution regarding political contributions that stated only humans, not corporations, have constitutional rights and that money is not speech, thus regulating political contributions is not limiting free speech. It failed 869 to 985.
Article 4, the proposed operating town budget of $28,054,908 won over the default budget of $28,086,186 with a vote of 1321 to 628.
Voters approved raising and appropriating $100,000 for Article 3, the Expendable Maintenance Trust Fund, 1264 to 703, as well as Article 5, funding a Special Revenue Account with $490,322, 1469 to 476 against.
Article 7, Improvements to the Public Works Garage totaling $180,000, was approved 1246 to 716, and Article 6, giving the Sewer Fund $2,629,815, passed 1523 to 426.
Article 8, which funded a Commercial and Industrial Assessment Update with $145,500, passed 1046 to 880.
Article 9, the ratification of the police collective bargaining agreement, which raises and appropriates $102,473 passed 1171 to 780, and Article 10, which authorizes a special meeting if Article 9 failed, passed 1354 to 586.
Article 11, raising and appropriating $275,000 to the Roadway Maintenance Trust Fund, was approved by voters 1327 to 626.
Article 14, a special meeting on cost items, should the Fire Department and the town reach an agreement, was approved 1405 to 495.
Finally, Article 15 or Transaction of Other Business, had a yes vote of 1255 and a no vote of 349.
On the School District election, three candidates sought to fill two seats on the school board. Winners were incumbent Nancy Hendricks with 1129 votes and Dan Lekas with 960 votes. George Tsekrekas received 876 votes.
Hendricks said she was “humbled and honored to be selected by the voters of Londonderry to serve another term. Being voted into office is more than just winning a seat on a board, it is about serving and giving back to the community that has chosen you. My intent is to work as hard as I can to contribute to my community.”
Lekas said he was honored to have been elected.
The school district’s proposed operating budget of $66,240,583, Article 3, was approved 1765 to 171 over the default budget of $66,545,528.
Article 4, the Londonderry Custodians Bargaining Agreement, which appropriated $56,570, was approved 1154 to 811, and Article 5, which appropriated $110,309 for the support staff bargaining agreement, passed 1114 to 843.
Article 6, which authorized a special meeting for cost items if articles 4 and/or 5 did not pass, was approved 1328 to 623.
The voters also approved Article 7, which authorized accepting federal grant money and other funds to support the school lunch program, 1728 to 238.
Two Special Articles, Article 8, appropriating $500,000 to the School Buildings Maintenance Trust Fund, and Article 9, which appropriates $100,000 to the Equipment Capital Reserve Fund, passed 1195 to 767 and 1259 to 706 respectively.