Published January 17, 2019

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — Three long-term incumbents on the local political scene have announced that they will not seek re-election in the 2019 Town Election.

Select Board member Robert Mauceri, who has served in this post for the past 15 years, among numerous other elected and appointed seats over nearly 50 years, announced his intention to step down in May at Monday night’s board meeting.

A few minutes later, Select Board Chairman Michael Prisco also took a few moments to announce his intention not to seek re-election to the board after three terms and nine years of service on this board.

Mauceri and Prisco are the only two candidates on the Select Board whose terms expire in May.

Additionally, over the weekend on social media, long-term School Committee member Mel Webster also made his open secret official: He will not be seeking re-election to his board because he and his wife will be moving from town. He has been intermittently showing photographs of the progress being made of the building and the view from their new home on social media.

All three men stated they were making their announcements early to give potential new candidates the advance notice needed to pull nomination papers once they become officially available from the Town Clerk’s office on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

They all encouraged candidates to come forward and make their mark on the various boards and committees.

“To my fellow board members I want to let everybody know that I will not be running for re-election this year,” Mauceri said.

“I want to thank all the board members, present and past, that I have worked with for their support and help. And I would like to thank the community that has supported me for the last 15 years as a member of the Board of Selectmen. I bring it up now Michael primarily because on Jan. 22 the Town Clerk will be announcing that she is open to those who want to run for any open term or up for re-election to collect their paperwork and move forward.”

“Anybody that is interested in filling my vacant seat I’d be happy to sit down with you and have a discussion about it,” Mauceri offered.

When it was his turn to announce he was stepping down, Prisco said, “It has been nine years. It’s been a long run and I just think the community is due for a change. I am looking forward to focusing on my businesses and my family so I wanted to also, along with Mr. Mauceri, notify the community that I won’t be seeking re-election early enough. I hope many of you folks will run. Reach out to Mr. Mauceri or myself so we may talk to you and encourage you to run. The community can’t run without changing on this board. It’s healthy for the town.”

“I hope our keyboard warriors out their on social media really consider pulling papers on the 22nd… The community needs you. We need fresh faces. We need young and old. Anything works on this board if you have an open mind and are willing to communicate. And the administration has really come along way in the nine years since I have been here. Mr. Gilleberto has a great team,” Prisco said.

Both men acknowledged that they still have about four more months worth of work left before their terms end.

“We will have plenty of opportunity to thank you appropriately for all the years you put in,” Prisco said to Mauceri.

Election Day is May 7

Election Day this year is Tuesday, May 7, which means the deadline for candidates to return their nomination papers to the Town Clerk’s office is Tuesday, March 19 at 5 p.m., Town Clerk Barbara Stats said. Her office will remain open an extra hour on the deadline day to accept the nomination papers.

All candidates are required to obtain a minimum of 50 signatures from residents who are registered to vote in the town of North Reading to be eligible to be included on the ballot. Therefore, Stats always advises candidates to submit many more than the minimum number of signatures required because her office is unable to certify signatures that are “duplications, illegible or ineligible.”

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 4 at 5 p.m.

The last day a resident of the town can register to vote to participate in the May 7 annual town election is Wednesday, April 17 at 8 p.m., she said.

Elective offices for 2019

According to Stats, eight seats on four boards and the town moderator’s seat are up for election this year. The names of incumbents are listed in parentheses.

• Two seats for three-year terms on the Select Board (incumbents Robert Mauceri and Michael Prisco will not seek reelection);

• One seat for a one-year term for Town Moderator (John Murphy);

• Two seats for three-year terms on the School Committee (Janene Imbriano and Melvin Webster. Incumbent Mel Webster is not seeking reelection);

• Two seats for three-year terms on the Community Planning Commission (Warren Pearce and Jonathan Cody);

• One seat for a five-year term on the Housing Authority (James DeCola).

Candidates for any municipal office are required to file campaign finance reports on specific dates per the provisions of Mass. General Laws 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.