HOLDEN —As reported last week, nomination papers are available for the annual town election May 8.
It might appear early, but it is time for people to give running for town office some thought and to meet March deadlines.
And there is some change to the electoral landscape.
There will be a new town moderator, as incumbent Joseph Sullivan has announced he is not seeking re-election, Town Clerk Jeanne Hudson said.
“I have always followed two creeds during my volunteer journey: One, that that we are generally all people of good will, and two, that the service most local is the service most effective,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan, who has been in town government for a quarter century, has served several one-year terms as moderator and held various elected and appointed positions.
Among the seven seats up for election on the May ballot are two three-year seats on the Wachusett Regional School Committee.
That number is less than in the past as the town and school district transitions to a new makeup, shrinking the overall size of the committee.
The town will lose two seats in this spring’s election and two in next year’s election, reducing its members on the WRSDC from 10 to six as the overall size of the committee shrinks, from the current 22 to 19 members later this year and then to 16 in 2024. The change was approved by town meeting voters in the five district towns of Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland and Sterling.
Sterling is losing a seat this year and Rutland one next year to reduce the total to 16.
Holden retains its close-to-majority power through the mechanism of weighted voting, with each member’s vote calculated to abide by the one person-one vote rules.
The move shrinks the massive size of the committee, which supporters of the change said would help the functionality of the committee.
Positions on the ballot Moderator, one one-year seat. Incumbent Joseph Sullivan is not running for re-election; Selectman, one three-year seat. Incumbent Thomas Curran, who was elected in a special election last year, will fill the remainder of Robert Lavigne’s term, which expires this year; Trustees of Damon Memorial, two three-year seats. Incumbent Russell Dye and open seat with member Rick Sheils having moved out of town; Wachusett Regional School District Committee, two threeyear seats. Incumbents for four seats being reduced to two in May are Michael Dennis, Laura M. Kirshenbaum, Andrew Meader and Benjamin Andrews, who was chosen by selectmen to fill the remainder of a term that will end with the town election; Holden Housing Authority, one five-year seat. Incumbent is Clare Zukowski.
For more information, call the town clerk’s office at 508-210-5530.
Due to changes under the Voters Act, Holden will be offering mail-in ballots for the annual town election.
Applications requesting a ballot will not be sent to voters as the state does for state elections, but an application can be requested and a ballot will be mailed to the voter, Hudson said. An absentee ballot can also be requested.
The town will not be offering early voting, but voters can vote absentee at the town clerk’s office until noon on Friday, May 5.
