Published in the February 15, 2018 edition
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING —Two more incumbents have pulled nomination papers for the May 8 Town Election this week.
According to Town Clerk Barbara Stats, both Community Planning Commission (CPC) member William Bellavance and Selectman Kathryn Manupelli picked up their nomination papers to retain their respective three-year seats.
Manupelli is seeking her second three-year term.
Bellavance will also be seeking his second three-year term, although he did get a head start, having been appointed in 2014 to fill the remainder of longtime CPC member Neal Rooney’s unexpired term upon his resignation effective September 1, 2014. That appointment was to last until the May 2015 election, at which time Bellavance could have opted to run for election to fulfill the remaining year of Rooney’s unexpired term, per state law.
However, in the spring of 2015, the three-year seat of longtime CPC member Pat Romeo was also up for re-election so when she chose to run for the one year remaining on Rooney’s term instead of another full three-year term, it opened up an opportunity for Bellavance to seek a three-year seat, which he did.
With the announcement last week by Joe Veno that he will not seek re-election to either his three-year CPC seat or his five-year Housing Authority seat, there are currently no candidates for either position.
There is also only one candidate seeking nomination to date for one of the two three-year terms available on the School Committee. That candidate is Richard McGowan. Neither Jerry Venezia or Julie Koepke will be seeking to retain their seats.
All candidates have until Tuesday, March 20 at 5 p.m. to return to the Town Clerk’s office for certification the minimum of 50 signatures of certified North Reading voters to ensure their name gets on the ballot.
Incumbent Selectman Steve O’Leary pulled his nomination papers to retain his seat last week.
Incumbent Town Moderator John Murphy has also pulled his nomination papers to seek his 14th consecutive term. It is the only one-year seat on the ballot.
Register to vote by April 18
Once a candidate is certified as eligible to run for an elective office, the last day that candidate can choose to withdraw his or her name from the ballot is Thursday, April 5 at 5 p.m.
The last day a resident of the town can register to vote to participate in the May 8 annual town election is Wednesday, April 18 at 8 p.m. Town Hall will be open late on both of those dates to accommodate voters, as mandated by state law, Stats said. Early voting is not available for any local elections in the state, she added.
Candidates for any municipal office are required to file campaign finance reports on specific dates per the provisions of Mass. General Law Chapter 55. Those with questions about this process may contact the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance for assistance by phone: 617-727-8352, email: ocpf@cpf.state.ma.us or visit the website at www.mass.gov/ocpf.
For additional assistance the public may also call the Town Clerk’s office at 978-357-5218.
