WAKEFIELD — There may be a special election to fill the vacant seat on the Town Council after all.
With the next regular Town Election just five months away, the remaining six members of the Town Council listened to the advice of Town Clerk Betsy Sheeran and voted 5-1 last week against holding a special election to fill the seat vacated by the death of Councilor Peter May in early October.
But on Tuesday of this week, Pierce Avenue resident Kristen Henshaw pulled paperwork to file for a special election. Under state law, if a petition is signed by 200 registered voters and the next regular election is at least 100 days away, the Town Council must call a special election to fill a vacant seat on the Town Council.
At the Town Council’s Nov. 8 meeting, Town Clerk Betsy Sheeran, who administers local elections, outlined her opposition to holding a special election to fill the vacant Town Council seat.
“It’s a bad idea,” she told the board. “I do not support the idea of holding a special election.”
Sheeran cited the required time for potential candidates to pull nomination papers, collect signatures and get the signatures certified, which would put the special election in January at the earliest. The winner of that election would serve three months at most, and then go into the regular Town Election as an incumbent.
“It’s not fair,” Sheeran said.
She also cited the $16,000 cost of holding an election — money that was not in this year’s budget.
Sheeran reminded the board that elections are held in the Galvin Middle School, pointing out that an unplanned special election would disrupt students and learning on that day.
In addition, a January special election would occur just as the Annual Town Election season is getting underway, Sheeran noted, potentially confusing voters.
Five of the Town Councilors agreed with Sheeran. Edward Dombroski was the lone councilor in favor of holding a special election.
He pointed out that there are seven seats for a reason. He worried that the Town Council could wind up with deadlocked 3-3 votes.
Dombroski also felt that having a seventh voice on the board was important and that it was unfair to deny a citizen the opportunity to serve.
“There’s value to three months-worth of representation,” Dombroski said.
In a letter in today’s Item Forum, Henshaw makes her case for a special election.
“Only one of six elected officials spoke up for the citizens of Wakefield in support of our town’s democratic process and principles: Councilor Edward Dombroski, Jr.,” Henshaw writes. “Five Councilors and one town clerk, all six of them elected by Wakefield voters, denied the rest of us a chance to choose a new voice to represent us.”
Henshaw’s letter continues. “If any Wakefield voter agrees with Councilor Dombroski, that we need to hold a special election and would like to be heard, I have two suggestions:
1. Call/email any or all of the other Councilors and tell them how you feel. Their contact information is listed on the town’s website.
2. Sign the petition that is being circulated. The Council cannot ignore 200 certified signatures of Wakefield’s registered voters, and will be forced to hold a special election.”
