Elections

Big Interest in Running for Town Councilor At-Large & School Committee

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The latest list of people who have pulled papers to run for office in the 2017 Watertown Town Election includes many possible candidates for Town Councilor at Large and School Committee. 

If everyone who has pulled papers gets enough signatures to be on the ballot, all the open seats will have at least one person running for them, but two have attracted more interest than the rest. There will be an uncontested seat in the Councilor-At-Large race, with Susan Falkoff announcing she will not seek reelection. Six people have pulled papers, including the three remaining incumbents: Aaron Dushku, Michael Dattoli and Tony Palmoba. There are also three challengers, all of whom are running for Town Council for the first time: David Stokes, Caroline Bays and Michelle Cokonougher. For the other Council seats, so far, the only ones to pull papers are the incumbents: Town Council President Mark Sideris, District A Councilor Angeline Kounelis, District B Councilor Lisa Feltner, District C Councilor Vincent Piccirilli and District D Councilor Ken Woodland.

Election 2017

Decision Made on How to Fill Vacant School Committee Seat

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The School Committee will have an open seat when one of its members moves out of town, and the seat will be filled by a special election that will be on the ballot during this fall’s Town Election. 

In May, School Committee member Candace Miller announced she would be stepping down from her seat because she and her family are moving. She told her colleagues on June 5, and submitted her letter of resignation to the Town Clerk that week saying she will officially step down on Aug. 5. The decision of how the remaining 2 years and two months is made by the Town Council. Tuesday night Council President Mark Sideris recommended that a special election be called.

Elections

First Time Candidate Joining Race for Watertown Town Council

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A trained family mediator and community organizer, Caroline Bays announced her candidacy for Watertown Councilor-at-Large today. A Watertown resident for 19 years, Caroline and her husband Bill chose Watertown as an affordable, diverse community in which to raise their two children Austin and Susannah. She has organized volunteers and talked with Watertown voters about the issues in local campaigns to elect Watertown Councilors Susan Falkoff and Tony Palomba, State Representative Jon Hecht, State Senator Will Brownsberger, as well as U.S. Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren. “I’ve spoken to people all over Watertown as I have campaigned for other candidates. I’ve talked to people about issues that upset them as well as the many strengths of our community,” says Bays.

Election 2017

One Watertown Town Councilor Will Not Run for Re-election This Fall

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As candidates begin pulling papers to run in the 2017 Watertown Town Election, one longtime Town Councilor will not be seeking another term. 

Councilor At-Large Susan Falkoff said she has decided to step down from the Council at the end of her term. “It’s just time,” Falkoff said. “I feel like I have made a good contribution. A lot of things I have worked on have come to fruition.” She was first elected in 2003, but lost in 2005 “along with the CPA,” Falkoff said.

Elections

Town Council Looking for Ways to Make Early Voting Work More Smoothly

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Early voting was a hit in Watertown during the Presidential Election, but the influx of people sometimes overwhelmed the staff of the Clerk’s office. The Town Council began looking for ways for it to work better next time. There were 5,855 early votes cast, with another 796 and 86 e-voters – military service men and women and others who qualify, Town Clerk John Flynn told the Town Council’s State, Federal and Regional Government Committee Tuesday night. That made up 36 percent of the votes cast. That well exceeded the number Flynn expected to see.

Elections

Election 2016: Issues with Early Voting, How Question 5 Appeared on Ballot

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The Nov. 8 election drew a huge number of Watertown voters, but there were issues with the presidential election that also featured the Community Preservation Act ballot question. Early voting proved popular with residents, and about 7,000 voters casted their ballots before election day. After filling out their voters would fold their ballots and put them in an envelope and handed it back to the staff at the Town Clerk’s office. The envelopes went to the precinct where the voter lives, and were put through the machine.

Community Preservation Act

LETTER: The Election is Over, Losers Should Accept Results Nationally and Locally

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To the editor,

On November 8, 2013 the 50 States and District of Columbia held elections for President of the United States. The results are in and at last count as many as 306 electors were won by Donald Trump.For the benefit of those who forgot their High School Civics, Article 2 of the Constitution makes it clear, the Sovereign State Elect the President. The State Legislatures are empowered to select Electors in whatever manner they see fit. There is no requirement that popular vote be held. In fact it was process where States slowly started adopting a popular vote.

Elections

LETTER: Rough and Tumble Campaign Over, Now it’s Time to Work Together

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To the editor,

As one of the most vocal opponents of the CPA during the campaign, I’d like to congratulate the proponents on their victory.  

There is no doubt that this campaign was heated.  Often times, hyperbole came from both sides. That’s what happens in a campaign. For those of us who have been involved in politics for years, it’s not surprise, nor do we find anything out of the ordinary. Politics is a blood sport during a campaign.