Town Election results are in

THE POLLING PLACE at the Galvin Middle School gymnasium was nearly deserted at times during yesterday’s low-turnout Town Election. (Mark Sardella Photo)

Dombroski, Butt back as Town Councilors; Davis, Piskadlo chosen for SC

 

 

VIEW COMPLETE ELECTION RESULTS HERE
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By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — Yesterday voters decided that incumbents should go back for another term on the Town Council, longtime active parent Pete Davis should join Kevin Piskadlo and others on the School Committee and that Lisa Butler should continue as a Constable in the 2023 edition of the Town Election.

In what has become an annual spring trend, the turnout was low with less than 13 percent of the town’s 19,487 registered voters participating.

In addition to the three contested races named above, voters also reelected Town Clerk Betsy Sheehan, Town Moderator William Carroll, Gas & Light Commissioner John Warchol, Board of Health member Candace Linehan, Board of Assessor member David Ledonne and Library Trustee Susan Wetmore.

They also backed appointed members Laura Cutone Godwin and Adam Rodgers as Library Trustees.

Kevin York was elected to a five-year seat on the Planning Board.

Of the seven precincts, the North Ward’s Precinct 7 saw the most voters — 454 — head to the polls at the Galvin Middle School.

“There’s more work to be done,” said Town Councilor Ed Dombroski after topping the ticket not only in his own race but leading all contested races in yesterday’s Town Election with 1,940 votes.

During WCAT’s election night coverage, Dombroski spoke of some of the initiatives that he has led, such as the downtown revitalization project, that he wants to see through to completion.

“I’m also concerned about the financial direction of our town,” he said. “We have a lot of financial obligations being placed on our taxpayers in the coming years.” He cited the new high school as one example.

“We have to be careful stewards and mindful of the burden,” he said, noting that some people are going to have a hard time affording the same quality of life.

Dombroski also pointed to what he saw as a troubling trend.

“I don’t think there’s a place for partisanship in local politics,” he said. He noted that party considerations have taken a more prominent role of late.

“Political parties shouldn’t factor into your decision making,” he said, noting that there’s a reason municipal elections are nonpartisan. He said that throughout the campaign, he kept hearing the Town Council contest framed as a Democrat vs. Republican race.

“I know for a fact that that was how some of the campaigning went on,” he said. “There’s no place for that. The people of our community deserve better than partisanship.”

Also reelected yesterday with 1,414 votes was current Town Council Chair Mehreen Butt. She said that she and her team knocked on over 2,000 doors and made many phone calls over the course of the campaign.

She said that she had a lot of great interactions speaking with voters at their doors and noted that people “seem pretty happy” with the direction of the town.

“I’m proud of the work that we’ve done over the last six years,” she said adding that there is “still a lot left to accomplish.”

She said that one of her goals is to make Lake Quannapowitt swimmable again and to create a full path around the edge of the Lake.

“We can do transformative things in the next few years and I want to be part of it,” she said.

The top vote-getter in the School Committee race was newcomer Pete Davis with 1,736 votes.

“I love Wakefield and I love our schools,” he said last night.

“Our schools have done a lot for my kids and this is just another way to give back.”

As a new School Committee member, Davis admitted, “I have a learning curve.”

With the recently approved new high school and an annual school budget over $50 million, he said that there is a need to “be careful when we ask for money” while doing everything possible to reduce costs.

With 1,626 votes, Kevin Piskadlo was reelected to the School Committee.

“I love this town and I love this school system,” he said. As a product of that system, Piskadlo said, “I feel that I owe so much to it. There are so many good things happening our town and certainly with our schools,” he said, “and I want to be part of it.”

Coming up short in yesterday’s vote totals, School Committee candidate Alexandra Makarewicz was philosophical in defeat.

“It’s not the result that I wanted,” she said, but added, “I got to meet a lot of great people. I had a ton of support. I got out there and got my message out.”

— Bob Burgess contributed to this report.