Special Election Officially Voted Down

Selectmen had already expressed opposition to having a special election to fill Dan Lanen's seat for the remainder of his term, and Monday night at they made it official.

Selectmen voted unanimously to not move forward with a special election to fill Lanen's seat.

"It just doesn’t make sense, it’s just not practical," Selectman Rosemary Smedile said.

The overwhelming opposition on the board had to do with the timeline and the price. In keeping with state law, the special election would have to be held at least a certain number of days away from the regular election, Town Clerk Joyce Bradshaw said, meaning the election would have to be held in mid-December.

That would mean only filling the seat for three months, since Lanen's term ends in March. It would also mean that whoever won the special election would have to campaign all over again for reelection in March and would have to file papers for that election almost immediately after taking office.

The price for a special election would be high as well.

"You're looking at a minimum of $10,000," Bradshaw said. And the price tag could go up to $16,000.

Having a special election during the height of the holiday season would likely lead to very low turnout as well.

"I know that I stated pretty clearly last week that I couldn’t in good conscience spend $15,000 to $16,000 to fill a term of three months," Selectman Chair Tracy Watson said reiterating her opposition before the unanimous vote.