Webster stepping down from SC

Published February 28, 2019

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

 NORTH READING — The odds of having at least one candidate on the ballot for each available seat in the town’s May 7 election increased this week.

That is because one incumbent and one newcomer pulled nomination papers at the Town Clerk’s office for a chance to get on the ballot by the March 19 deadline.

Longtime Community Planning Commission (CPC) member Warren Pearce, of Haverhill Street, who is the board’s current chairman, pulled his papers on Tuesday seeking re-election to another three-year term.

Additionally, political newcomer Tracy A. DeGregorio of Boxwood Road is seeking a nomination for one of two seats on the School Committee. She pulled her papers on Monday.

However, also on Tuesday, longtime School Committee member Mel Webster informed Town Clerk Barbara Stats that he must step down after the March 18 meeting because he is moving from town sooner than expected.

Although Webster had announced that he would not be seeking re-election at the start of the nomination process due to his impending move it had been his intention to finish out his 15th year on the committee.

“My wife and I have bought a new residence and will be moving out of town on March 21. I really wanted to finish out the final year of my final term and I did everything I could to stretch out the process, but unfortunately I could not squeeze out enough time,” Webster stated in part in his resignation letter.

“I am going to miss working with North Reading residents, students, teachers, and administrators. It has been extremely rewarding to serve for nearly 15 years and I hope I have been able to play a small role in helping to improve the North Reading School District,” Webster said, adding, “All good things must come to an end, but my family and I will always look back fondly on the 34 years we spent in North Reading.”

Four incumbents stepping down

There are eight seats on four boards plus the town moderator’s seat up for election this year, but four incumbents are stepping down.

School Committee Chairwoman Janene Imbriano has announced her intention to seek a third three-year term to retain her seat.

There are two seats for three-year terms available on the Community Planning Commission (CPC).

Pearce currently holds one seat while the seat formerly held by Jonathan Cody is open. Cody resigned from his seat a few weeks ago because he has moved from town.

CPC deadline extended

The CPC and Select Board are seeking to fill this CPC vacancy in a joint appointment, possibly as early as this coming Tuesday, March 5 at the next CPC meeting.

The appointment would last until the town election on May 7, at which time it will be filled by the winner in that race.

Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto informed the Transcript on Wednesday that the deadline to apply for consideration for this joint appointment has been extended to Friday, March 1 at noon. Candidates can email their resume or letter of interest to him at: townadministrator@northreadingma.gov or drop it off in person at the Town Hall, 235 North St. There are currently three applicants and the boards would like to expand the pool.

Similar joint appointment process

Similar to the situation with the CPC, if the School Committee “wishes to fill the ‘unexpired’ portion of (Webster’s) term through a joint appointment with the Select Board, it would be from March 19 through May 7,” Stats said.

“Any person so appointed to fill this ‘unexpired’ term would still have to file nomination papers if they are interested in the full three-year position which will be on the May 7 ballot.  However that decision would have to be made by such person prior to any joint appointment, as the deadline to submit nomination papers for all positions on the annual election ballot is also March 19,” the Town Clerk stated.

There are two seats available for three-year terms on the Select Board. Both incumbents up for re-election, Robert Mauceri and Michael Prisco, announced in January their intention not to run for re-election.

To date, two candidates have pulled nomination forms for the Select Board. They are Andrew J. Lee of Lowell Road, a West Point graduate who served for 8 1/2 years in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged with the rank of captain, and Liane R. Gonzalez of Clover Road who currently holds the state-appointed seat on the local Housing Authority.

Incumbent Housing Authority member James DeCola has pulled papers for the one seat available for a five-year term.

Incumbent Town Moderator John Murphy has pulled papers for his 15th consecutive one-year term.

No candidate who has pulled papers since the nomination process opened on January 22 has

Election basics

Election Day is Tuesday, May 7 and the deadline for candidates to return their nomination papers to the Town Clerk’s office is Tuesday, March 19 at 5 p.m. The Town Clerk’s 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 town residents who are registered to vote in the town of North Reading to be eligible to be included on the ballot. Therefore, Town Clerk Barbara Stats always advises candidates to submit 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.

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.