May 15 special election to fill vacant Select Board seat

Date: 2/6/2012

Feb. 6, 2012

By Chris Maza

chrism@thereminder.com

LONGMEADOW — A Special Town Election will take place on May 15 to fill the Select Board seat recently vacated by Christine Swanson.

The Select Board voted at its Jan. 31 meeting in response to a citizen’s petition requesting the election. By law, if a citizen’s petition is requested, the town is obligated to host such an election.

Select Board Chair Mark Gold told Reminder Publications that there were several reasons for the decision to host the election on May 15.

“In addition to statutory requirements regarding timing, the Select Board desired to give a long enough period of time to allow people to get their nomination papers, fill them out and return them,” he said. “Also, the town could potentially be having an election on that date, so by having the special election on the same date, we could save the town money.”

May 15 is also the date for primary elections, if they are necessary. If three or more candidates turn in nomination papers, a primary would be needed to narrow the choices down to two prior to the June 12 Annual Town Election. Hosting both a primary and a special election on the same day as opposed to hosting separate elections would save the town $9,100.

“The poll workers, overtime for police and preparing and coding the ballot box make up the majority of that cost,” Gold said.

Swanson officially resigned from the Select Board on Jan. 3 after announcing her intentions to do so in the fall of 2011, explaining that her family was moving to Savannah, Ga. She said she would remain on the board until her house was sold or the end of 2011, whichever came first.

Nomination papers are available in the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall until Feb. 24 and must be returned by Feb. 28.

For more information, visit the Town Clerk’s office or the town’s website, www.longmeadow.org.