There were only three contested races in the 2016 Mattapoisett Annual Election – Tree Warden, Mattapoisett School Committee, and Community Preservation Committee – and the man of the hour was definitely Tree Warden Roland Cote who was waiting on May 17 at Old Hammondtown School when the polls closed to hear if he would continue in that position after nine years on the job.
It was a decisive win for Cote, who received 414 votes to Michael King’s 83 votes.
“I feel very good about it,” said Cote, “and I think these past nine years prove that I’m worthy of the vote … and the progress that was done.”
For the two Mattapoisett School Committee seats, incumbent Patrick LeClair will remain on the committee for another three-year term with 326 votes, and he will be joined by newcomer Rachel Westgate who will begin her first term on the committee with 310 votes. Candidate Daniel Adams Wright garnered 175 votes.
Both incumbents of the Community Preservation Committee will keep their seats; Jodi Lynn Bauer received 434 votes, John Decosta Jr. received 383 votes, and James Arthur Layton got 102 votes.
Selectman Jordan Collyer ran unopposed, although Timothy Connor’s name remained on the ballot since he pulled out of the race past the deadline. Collyer won 393 votes and Connor still managed to take away 83 votes.
Running unopposed for: Assessor, Cary LeBlanc (417 votes); ORR School Committee, Faust Fiore (384 votes); Trustee of the Public Library, two seats: James Dildine (388 votes) and Mary Magee (432 votes); Moderator, John Eklund (418 votes); Water/Sewer Commissioner, Dana Barrows (412 votes); Board of Health, Kenneth Dawicki (419 votes); Planning Board, Karen Field (419 votes); Mattapoisett Housing Authority, Leda Kim (398 votes); Constable, two seats: Paul Magee (439 votes) and Kenneth Pacheco (402 votes); Herring Inspector, Robert Martin (432 votes).
The ballot question to exempt the town from Proposition 2½ in order to fund the town’s share of the ORR school capital plan passed 184-81, and 251 ballots were left blank.
There were 516 total ballots cast, just above a 10 percent voter turnout.
By Jean Perry