Collyer earns seventh term with big win

May 17, 2022

MATTAPOISETT – Jordan Collyer will return to the Select Board for his seventh term, Mattapoisett voters decided on Tuesday May 17, after defeating challenger Don LaMarr by a 750-196 margin.

“Well, we’re just going to pick up where we left off, which was yesterday,” he joked.

He said the first big thing that he has to deal with is getting in touch with the superintendent, Mike Nelson, and starting a dialogue about the school consolidation study with the Collins Center. The study is looking at possibly consolidating town buildings and has led to discussion about potentially combining two elementary schools into one.

He also mentioned the completion of the bike path and maintaining a balanced budget as other priorities.

Collyer has said that this could be his last term, but he’s said that before – six years ago, after his fourth term. “If you ask my wife, this is my last term,” he said, adding that he’s going to “play it by ear.”

LaMarr was not present for comment, but Collyer said that LaMarr ran “a respectful and clean campaign” and that he “hopes he gets involved in government in the future.”

Voters also selected Michael Rosa and Donald Fleming for the two open seats on the Trustees of the Public Library. Rosa earned 614 votes, and Fleming had 430.

Fellow candidate William Coquillette was defeated by a narrow margin, with 410 votes.

In total, 984 voters showed up to the polls.

“The write-in candidates brought in people who might not have come otherwise,” said Collyer.

Since no candidate returned papers for School Committee, the write-in votes decided the race. The two open seats will be held by Cristin Cowles, who earned 388 votes, and Amanda Hastings, who earned 385 votes. 

Also in the running were Lynne Bailey Pelland, who received 147 votes, and Rich Reilly, with 194. 

The candidates running unopposed were: Assessor, Cary Leblanc, 771 votes; Old Rochester Regional School Committee, Rosemary Bowman, 781 votes; Moderator, John Eklund, 762 votes; Constable, Kenneth Pacheco, 746 votes; Herring Inspector, Jonathan Wilbur, 764 votes; Tree Warden, Roland Cote, 779 votes; Planning Board, John Matheiu, 688 votes; Housing Authority, Suzanne Kennedy, 721 votes; Community Preservation Committee, James Andrew Pierson, 699 votes, and Susan Wilbur, 759 votes.

No papers were returned for Water and Sewer Commissioner and a seat on the Board of Health. Dana Barrows received the most votes for Water and Sewer Commissioner with 25, and Michelle Bernier won the Board of Health seat with 66 votes.