Boudo refuses to give up bid for mayor

Date: 11/11/2009

By Katelyn Gendron, Reminder Assistant Editor

WEST SPRINGFIELD Town Councilor Paul Boudo refuses to give up his bid for the mayor's office despite losing to Mayor Edward Gibson in last week's election.

Boudo announced on Nov. 5 that he is petitioning the Town Clerk's office for a recount.

"The close vote, a sum total of 5,360 votes cast for mayor of which 2,507 were for me and 2,853 for my opponent, reflects a 346 vote count difference," Boudo said. "This represents a 6.4 percent differential and it is my understanding that anything under 10 percent is a basis for requesting a recount.

"In addition, I, personally, observed at the middle school polling place for Precincts 7 and 8, the malfunction of a ballot scanning machine," he continued. "The ballots were being rejected by that one machine as voters attempted to insert their ballots. Poll workers were gathering the voter ballots as they were being rejected. The ballots were unable to be reinserted as the machine continued to reject them.

"Because of both the votes cast differential and the machine malfunction, I feel it incumbent upon me to request this recount," Boudo said.

He explained he is working diligently to obtain the 80 signatures needed, 10 from each precinct, for the recount petition due to the Town Clerk by Nov. 13.

On the night of the election, Gibson was all smiles when Reminder Publications asked how he felt about his victory.

"I'm relieved," he said with a sigh. "It [the campaigning] tears your guts out every two years . I think Springfield got it right today [voting in a] four-year term [for mayors]."

Gibson said there is no time for rest after the long campaign as much work still needs to be accomplished. He added road repair, levee repairs, energy conservation and budgeting are some of the many priorities the mayor's office will juggle over the next two years.

"It's going to be a great steeping slope this fiscal year," Gibson said of decreasing state aid and revenues. "We're going to have to work [to close those gaps]."

Gibson is conducting business as usual at Town Hall despite Boudo's call for a recount.

Boudo said he anticipates notification of the date and time of the recount by Nov. 16.

Filling out vacated seats on the council will be former Town Councilors at-large George Kelly and Brian Griffin along with incumbents Gerard Matthews, Kathleen Bourque and Robert Mancini. Uncontested District Councilors Angus Rushlow, Michael Finn and John Sweeney will round out the council this January along with newly elected District 2 Councilor Lida Maria Powell.