Falmouth town election approves debt exclusion for fire station, wastewater

EDITOR NOTE: This story was updated on May 18, 2022. The race for town meeting member (Precinct 1) for a two-year term was initially reported as tied, based on unofficial counts from the town clerk's office. In the final tally, Frank Duffy received 295 votes, and James Newman won with 297 votes.

FALMOUTH — Voters on Tuesday decided two contested races and approved Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusions for a new fire station and improvements to a wastewater treatment facility.

Turnout was at 16% with 4,436 of 26,676 registered voters casting ballots.

Douglas Brown was reelected to the Select Board with 3,408 votes. Edwin Zylinski II was also elected, with 3,216 votes. Dianna Mota fell short with 888 votes.

Melissa Keefe was re-elected to the School Committee with 2,572 votes. Margaret Souza and Michael Heylin were also elected, with 2,072 votes and 1,852 votes, respectively. Shea-Brown Kirlew, Nancy Kerrigan, and Mark Mancini fell short, with 1,647 votes, 1,681 votes, and 1,053 votes, respectively.

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Town clerk: Michael Palmer was re-elected with 3,540 votes.

Library Trustee: Kathryn Elder and Mary Fran Buckley were elected with 3,288 votes and 3,185 votes, respectively.

Planning Board: Patricia Kerfoot and Paul Dreyer were re-elected with 3,139 votes and 3,076 votes, respectively.

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Ballot questions:

Question 1: Voters approved a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion to fund the building of a new fire station on Sandwich Road with 2,731 voting yes and 1,421 voting no.

Question 2: Voters approved a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion to fund wastewater treatment facility improvements at Blacksmith Shop Road, voting 3,103 yes to 1,079 no.

Question 3: Voters decided to urge local officials to communicate with state officials to oppose any plans by Holtec Decommissioning International to dump radioactive water in Cape Cod Bay, voting 3,813 yes to 438 no.

Question 4: Voters approved an amendment to Article 2 of the town charter to support the town’s method of considering the capital improvement budget at fall town meeting and operating budget at spring town meeting, voting 3,559 yes to 388 no.

Question 5: Voters approved an amendment to Article 2 of the town charter to consolidate information about the town moderator’s responsibilities, voting 3,615 yes to 341 no .

Question 6: Voters approved an amendment to Article III and VIII of the town charter to clarify the Select Board’s ability to appoint governmental bodies, voting 3,362 yes to 550 no.

Question 7: Voters approved an amendment to Article 7 of the town charter to clarify the Select Board’s sole responsibility to determine the size of governmental bodies, voting 2,982 yes to 930 no.

Question 8: Voters approved an amendment to Article 7 of the town charter to make sure that the town manager develops a capital improvement plan consistent with the strategic plan and local comprehensive plan, voting 3,656 yes to 337 no.

Town meeting members elected

Elected also were a slate of town meeting members to Falmouth's Representative Town Meeting:

(Precinct 1) for a three -year term: Elected were: Alfredo Aretxabaleta with 467 votes, Peter Waasdorp, Jr. with 478 votes, David Martin with 508 votes, Albert Fitzelle with 512 votes, Richard Latimer with 460 votes, Matthew Waterbury with 514 votes, Thomas Peterson with 452 votes, Virginia Land McGuire with 462 votes, and Carissa Conner April with 481 votes.

Town meeting members (Precinct 1) for a two-year term: Frank Duffy received 295 votes, and James Newman won with 297 votes, in a final tally provided by the town clerk.

Town meeting members (Precinct 2) for a three-year term: Elected were: Charles Rader with 251 votes, Susan Maddigan with 274 votes, Jared Goldstone with 268 votes, Mary Patricia Barry with 300 votes, Gina Torielli with 283 votes, Gerald Potamis with 268 votes, Shannon Sylvester with 272 votes, Wendi Buesseler with 307 votes, and Robert Dugan with 278 votes. Falling short were Keith Schwegel and Gary Breitbord, with 195 and 148 votes, respectively.

Town meeting members (Precinct 2) for a one-year term: unresolved write-in.

Town meeting members (Precinct 3) for a three-year term: Elected were Anthony Fusaro with 253 votes, Edward Swartz with 254 votes, Donna Lee Hurst with 255 votes, Julie Winling with 258 votes, Michael Palmer with 273 votes, Michael McCarthy with 263 votes, Thomas Walrath with 247 votes, and Geralyn Schad with 242 votes.

Town meetings members (Precinct 4) for a three-year term: Elected were: Robert Baker with 309 votes, Barbara Schneider with 319 votes, Stephen Patton with 299 votes, Scott Thrasher with 350 votes, Wendy Vogel with 303 votes, Kathleen Beriau with 291 votes, Edwin Zylinski II with 345 votes, Tami Chase with 286 votes, and Maureen O'Connell with 309 votes.

Town meeting members (Precinct 5) for a three-year term: Elected were: Janet Azarovitz with 275 votes, Ruth Brazier with 308 votes, Russell Ferreira with 281 votes, Debra Rogers with 303 votes, Douglas Brown with 334 votes, Michael Kasparian with 314 votes, Nicholas Lowell with 283 votes, Kevin Murphy with 298 votes, and Robert Young with 279 votes. Falling short was Michael Heylin with 251 votes and Patricia Oshman with 181 votes.

Town meeting members (Precinct 5) for a one-year term: unresolved write-in.

Town meeting members (Precinct 6) for a three-year term: Elected were: James Morse with 338 votes, Kathryn Elder with 364 votes, Richard Duby with 331 votes, Andrea Thorrold with 352 votes, Leslie Paolucci with 318 votes, Michael Colgan with 313 votes, Debra Stiffel with 311 votes, Annie Hart Cool with 368 votes, and Kurt Stiffel with 298 votes.

Town meeting members (Precinct 7) for a three-year term: Elected were: Richard Bradley with 246 votes, Donald Weymouth with 247 votes, Donna Noonan with 253 votes, John Noonan III with 256 votes, Gerard Cogliano with 239 votes, and Tara Valley with 242 votes.

Town meeting members (Precinct 7) for a two-year term: unresolved write-in.

Town members (Precinct 7) for a one year term: unresolved write-in.

Town meeting members (Precinct 8) for a three-year term: Elected were: John Barkley with 204 votes, Alyssa Pohlman with 225 votes, Linda Davis with 259 votes, Leslie Lichtenstein with 220 votes, Amy Leonardi with 225 votes, Jason Hyatt with 195 votes, Megan English Braga with 291 votes, Sarah Floyd with 201 votes, and Laurie Robbins with 229 votes. Falling short was Henry Dick with 140 votes, Kim Comart with 163 votes, and Robert Wilber with 139 votes.

Town meeting members (Precinct 9) for a three-year term: Elected were: David DuBois with 249 votes, Clayton Jones with 253 votes, David Haddad with 264 votes, Peter Hargraves with 251 votes, Deborah Winograd with 252 votes, Richard Goulart with 255 votes, Kara Galasso-Garcia with 260 votes, and Frank Geishecker III with 252 votes.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Falmouth town election: wastewater, fire station funds approved