Stuto, Griffin win contested seats in Town Election

View complete Election results here.
MAY 2, 2023 TOWN ELECTION – Unofficial Results

 

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING – Incumbent Select Board member Vincenzo Stuto withstood a challenge from newcomer Jack Carroll while 25-year veteran Community Planning Commissioner Chris Hayden was unseated by newcomer Jeff Griffin in Tuesday’s annual Town Election.

The rainy weather may have kept some voters away as just over 900 voters out of a potential voting pool of 12,040 townspeople exercised their right to vote for the people who will represent them at the local level. This translates into just 7.6% of the electorate.

Stuto was re-elected by a margin of 184 votes – 532 to 348 – over challenger Carroll.

Similarly, Griffin defeated Hayden by 182 votes – 531-349.

In the two uncontested races, School Committee Chair Scott Buckley was returned to office for his third consecutive three-year term, with 706 votes, and Town Moderator John J. Murphy retained the gavel for his 19th consecutive one-year term with 680 votes. Technically, the results remain unofficial until 10 days after the election.

 

 

Looking ahead

Stuto thanked the people of North Reading for re-electing him to a second three-year term in office and he looks forward to continuing to serve the community in which he and his wife have chosen to raise their family of four young children.

“The majority of the town realizes that Select Board is not a single-issue position and that more importantly it is the responsibility of the Select Board to bring all projects to the table for the town to set its priorities,” Stuto said.

After the loss in his first bid for elective office, Carroll reaffirmed his commitment to continue to seek opportunities to serve his hometown.

“I think overall it was a good experience. I would like to congratulate my opponent, Mr. Stuto, on a very well campaigned and well managed race,” Carroll told the Transcript.

“I would also like to clarify that this is not my final foray into politics, especially not on the local scene, and that there will likely be another shot of me doing something in the very near future,” Carroll added.

The Select Board held its annual reorganization meeting Wednesday night (after press time) for the positions of chair, vice chair and clerk. For the past year, Stuto has served as the board’s vice chair.

 

 

Griffin excited to get started 

After winning his first-ever elective office, Griffin told the Transcript that the first thing he did was share the news with his father, who is nearly 80 years old.

“I Face-timed my dad. I told him he would be the first one to know, and he was very excited,” he said.

Griffin said winning elective office “feels like a great opportunity’s in front of me. I am here because of the people…it was the people’s voice that got me here, listening to their concerns.”

Asked what he’d like to achieve first as a member of the CPC, Griffin said he believes it is “really important to build personal relationships with the board members…I really want to settle in and understand the personalities that I’ll be working with.”

“Right now I don’t know what impact I could have on any of the sewer pipe project. I know that (it) is a huge concern of the people here,” he said.

Griffin believes the frustration many people felt during the town’s sewer project workshops last fall and subsequent Town Meeting contributed to their desire for change in their representatives on town boards, therefore he will prioritize clarity, communication and offers assurance that any projects the CPC either proposes or weighs in on “would translate clearly and nicely for people to understand what direction the town would like to go in.”

“I’m super excited. I can’t wait to get into my first meeting and I am really looking forward to help make North Reading a better place. We love it here and we care about the town,” Griffin said.

The Transcript was unable to reach Chris Hayden for comment prior to going to press.