Fairhaven getting new Select Board, School Committee, Planning Board members and more
FAIRHAVEN — Change is on its way to several key areas of town government after Monday's town election, including the Select Board, School Committee and Planning Board.
On the Select Board, Andrew Scott Romano and Andrew B. Saunders were the top two vote-getters out of five candidates vying for two three-year terms. They will replace current members Leon Correy III and Robert Espindola, who did not seek re-election this year.
On School Committee, incumbent Colin Veitch and Nicole Marie Pacheco — already an appointed member — were the top two of three candidates vying for two three-year terms. Candidate Brendalee Smith was successful in a separate School Committee race for a one-year term.
In the race for two four-year Planning Board terms, Jessica Fidalgo and Diane Gale Tomasetti were the top two of three candidates, and in another race for a one-year term, Richard Trapilo was the top vote-getter of three candidates.
In the Board of Health race for a four-year term, Barbara Acksen was the victor in a two-way contest. In the Board of Public Works race, incumbent Robert Hobson and Hillary Kesner Rotondo won six-year terms.
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As for a ballot question asking voters if they would rather change the Town Clerk position to an appointed one rather than elected, the "no" votes won 1,407 to 981, according to an unofficial preliminary count.
According to Town Clerk Elisabeth Horan, all results announced are based on preliminary counts until they are certified, which Horan said should be done in the coming days.
Preliminary vote counts
The following are unofficial vote counts for contested races in the 2024 Fairhaven, as announced Monday night at the polls:
Select Board: Patrick John Carr - 1,085, Jean P. Lemieux - 365, Donna L.S. McKenna - 848, Andrew Scott Romano - 1,230, and Andrew B. Saunders - 1,324.
School Committee: Colin Veitch - 1,537, Eric Bauman - 824, Nicole Marie Pacheco - 1,571.
Planning Board (two three-year terms): Jessica Fidalgo - 1,435, Diane Gale Tomasetti - 1,326, Jeffrey Thomas Lucas - 1,119.
Planning Board (one-year term): Karen Lynn Ferreira - 864, Despina Longinitis - 296, Rick Trapilo - 1,003.
Board of Health (Four-year term): Barbara Acksen - 1,288, Sheila Dolan - 1,013.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Fairhaven town election results: Select Board, School Committee winners
