Here’s what you need to know for Rochester’s Town Election
ROCHESTER — For some contests in Rochester’s Town Election, the race is on — for others, the town has had a hard time getting candidates to the starting line.
The election is on May 26 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Rochester Council on Aging. Residents can also vote early by filling out a Vote By Mail application on townofrochestermass.com/town-clerk, or by voting early in person from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on weekdays at the town clerk’s office.
There are three contested races in the election: Planning Board, Board of Health and Water Commission. But another four open positions in town government — Moderator, Cemetery Commission and one of two seats on the Rochester Memorial School Committee — have no candidates.
At Rochester Candidates Night on May 6, Selectman Woody Hartley encouraged residents to run for the open positions by way of write-in and “sticker” campaigns.
The race for the Board of Health is contested between incumbent Dale Barrows and newcomer Sarah Eby, a Registered Nurse with a Masters in Health Administration.
For more info on Barrows and Eby, take a look at Sippican Week’s candidate profiles:
The race for Water Commission is between Selectman Brad Morse and 60-year town government veteran David Hughes. The two are running for Michael Conway’s position, as he has decided not to seek reelection.
For more info on Morse and Hughes, read Sippican Week’s candidate profiles:
The race for Planning Board is three ways for two positions, between incumbent Lee Carr, commercial developer Dennis McCarthy and Marc Rousseau.
To learn more about McCarthy, read Sippican Week’s candidate profile. Candidates Rousseau and Carr could not be reached for comment.
The ballot will also feature a number of uncontested incumbents: Paul Ciaburri for Selectman; Jana Cavanaugh for Board of Assessors; Jeffrey Eldridge for Tree Warden; Robin Rounesville for the Rochester Memorial School Committee; Kenneth Ross for Park Commission.
Additionally, there are a few uncontested newcomers: Matthew Monteiro for the Old Rochester Regional School Committee and Shauna Makuch and Kelly Murray Medeiros for Library Trustees.
