For the second straight year, the Town of Marion will see four or more candidates running for two open seats on its Planning Board at the May 13 election.
Five actually pulled papers, but John Rockwell chose not to return them for Planning Board; he will run for reelection to the Open Space Acquisition Commission where he serves as chairman.
The terms of Joe Rocha and Chairman Will Saltonstall expire this year, and neither is running for reelection.
Tucker Burr, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals who lost out to Jon Henry and Alanna Nelson in a multicandidate tussle for two Planning Board seats last year is back in the race. So is Andrew Daniel, whose 2021 reelection bid fell short.
William Dale Jones and Barrett Levenson are also running for Planning Board.
Burr’s father, Carleton “Toby” Burr Jr., returned papers on March 15, making official his pursuit of the Select Board seat that John Waterman will vacate this year. Dr. Ed Hoffer, a member of the Board of Health and the ZBA, is his opposition in the Select Board race.
Hoffer is also running unopposed for reelection to the Board of Health, where he recently relinquished his duties as chair to Dot Brown, timing out with his pursuit of a Select Board seat.
Unless write-in candidates materialize, no other open seats in Marion are being contested this year.
Mattapoisett and Rochester deadlines are still in the future.
Friday, March 25, is the deadline to pull papers in Mattapoisett and Tuesday, March 29, the deadline to return. In Rochester, Monday, April 4, is the deadline to pull papers and Wednesday, April 6, the deadline to return.
By Mick Colageo