Westport election: voters approve debt exemption for new Diman, elect new selectmen

Audrey Cooney, The Herald News
Updated ·2 min read

WESTPORT — A newcomer will join the Board of Selectmen after a competitive race in the annual town election on Tuesday that also saw voters approve a debt exemption for the new Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School building.

Westport was one of several area towns to hold local elections this week. There were three contested races, for selectmen, town clerk and the Library Board of Trustees.

For selectmen, incumbent Steve Ouellette competed with small business owner Christopher Thrasher and current planning board member Manuel Soares to fill two open seats. Ouellette and Soares were elected, with 1,034 and 1,067 votes out of 3,602 ballots cast, respectively. Thrasher finished in third place with 731 votes, according to unofficial election results from the town clerk's office.

Current Assistant Town Clerk Kristin Stinson won the race for town clerk, securing 946 votes compared to her opponent Kayleigh Ann Vieira’s 718. Incumbents Pauline Dooley and Paula Feitelberg were reelected to the Library Board of Trustees, beating newcomer Paul Cabral. They won 1,129, 776 and 672 votes, respectively.

Westport had uncontested elections for the Board of Assessors, the Board of Health, the Westport School Committee, Diman Regional School Committee, fish commissioner, Board of Landing Commissioners, the planning board and local constables.

Diman debt exemption

Voters also approved a ballot question that would exempt the town’s share of the debt for the new Diman building from the state limit on annual increases to property taxes. Residents voted 1,039 to 668 to allow the exemption.

Construction on the new Diman is scheduled to start this year, with plans for the building to be open for students in 2026.

Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School is proposing a new four-story building to replace the current school.
Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School is proposing a new four-story building to replace the current school.

A “no” vote would have required Westport to pay for the project out of the town’s operating budget.

This is the second time Westport voters have considered the debt exemption. In November, town voters rejected a ballot question that would have allowed for a debt exclusion by a vote of 3,700 to 3,345.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Westport voters approve Diman debt exemption