It's Official: Dawson's Mayor
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Last Thursday a hand-recount of the mayoral and City Council elections was conducted in the Agawam Middle School cafeteria over an 11 hour period. Reminder Publications photo by Katelyn Gendron
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By Katelyn Gendron
Reminder Assistant Editor
AGAWAM The final votes have been tallied, again, and last Thursday's recount of the Nov. 6 mayoral and City Council elections were decided by even fewer votes than initially tabulated.
The fates of neither candidate Mayor Richard Cohen and City Council Vice President Robert Magovern who filed for the hand-recounts, were overturned. Cohen who initially lost the election by 44 votes, as a result of the recount at Agawam Middle School has officially been unseated by 38 votes. On Election Day Dawson received 3,589 votes and Cohen received 3,545; the recount totaled 3,582 votes for Dawson and 3,544 for Cohen.
Magovern, who received 3,636 votes on election day was able to pick up 13 challenged votes during the recount, however, it was not enough to push City Councilor Robert Young out of the final seat. Young received 3,653 votes on Nov. 6 and 3,657 during the recount.
City Clerk Richard Theroux said the recount came down to challenged ballots those ballots in which the intent of the voter is viewed as ambiguous and must be determined by the Board of Registrars. Overall he said he was very pleased with the outcome of the recount, which reinforced the accuracy of their new voting equipment received as a result of the Help America Vote Act.
The hand-recount was a lengthy process conducted by eight teams of counters over approximately 11 hours. The tiring process took a toll on the recount observers as Cohen was allegedly involved in a physical and verbal altercation with Gary O'Brien, vice president of the Police Patrolmen's Union.
In an interview with Reminder Publications, O'Brien said that Cohen slapped him on the back and then proceeded to grab him by the shoulder and "squeezed as hard as he could," adding that he told Cohen to release him but he continued to hold tight.
O'Brien said he was ready to have Cohen arrested however, he phoned the Police Patrolmen's Union's attorney who advised him to reconsider. He then decided not to press charges.
"He's a bully," O'Brien said of Cohen. "The power definitely went to his head and he feels that he can do whatever he wants to people."
Cohen said he denies that there was any altercation with O'Brien, adding that they only "had words."
"There were over 200 people there including TV cameras and if I assaulted him don't you think someone would have caught it on tape?" Cohen said.
City Councilor Robert Rossi, who witnessed the altercation, said the mayor grabbed O'Brien by the shoulder and O'Brien was "visibly upset by this...the next thing I knew the mayor was screaming that [O'Brien] was threatening him."
Rossi said Cohen was "responsible" for the altercation and that he should have never approached O'Brien.
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Cohen said that with the recount behind him he is now focusing on the continuation of his work as mayor over the next four weeks.
"I leave here with my head held high and I thank everyone who has supported me," he said.
Cohen added that he wishes Dawson "the best of luck," adding that they must "work together to continue continuity for our citizens."
Dawson said at the recount that she did not believe the process would change the overall outcome of the election but that it was "necessary to ensure that the outcome was exact."
She said that she has been working to assemble her transition team, adding jokingly that it will not be as large as Springfield Mayor-elect Domenic Sarno's team of 47. Dawson said that 10 to 12 people in and outside of town government will comprise the team, adding that they will work together to identify the most critical issues facing Agawam and outline the procedures for change.
Dawson said she is committed to seeing that the Senior Center is competed on time, meeting with school principals to address their needs and to work with the state to address the long-awaited sewer project in Feeding Hills.
Business as usual will continue for Young, who said that he will be happy to volunteer his time and efforts to the City Council for another two years.
Magovern said he had to ask for the recount because of the slim margin between himself and Young, adding that he owed it to his supporters. He said regardless of the outcome of the recount he's pleased with his contributions to the council over the past eight years.
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