Northwood Election Results
Town Clerk/Tax Collector Judy Pease signs the official 2018 vote
count from the ballot machine in her last official election
duties before retiring. Judy started as deputy town clerk
under Arlene Johnson in 1984, later adding the elected position
of tax collector prior to it becoming a combined position. She
plans to stay on for a short time to serve as deputy for newly
elected Town Clerk/Tax Collector Savannah Audet while the
selectmen begin the process to hire a new deputy clerk.
It
was a repeat performance of last year, with a snowy Nor’easter
arriving on Election Day causing near impossible driving
conditions. Northwood postponed the election in 2017 but that
was not to happen this year thanks to Secretary of State William
Gardner giving a directive to towns that the elections must go
on regardless of the weather. As expected, numbers were
down, although many people did make the trek to the polls in
spite of the weather. Schools and a number of businesses
were closed which allowed many people the opportunity to stay in
Northwood, rather than commuting to work. What was even
more surprising was the fortitude of the candidates who stood
outdoors in the blizzard conditions for the entire day and early
evening to meet and greet voters.
The
results of the contested races are: Selectman 3 years Beth
Boudreau; Police Commission 3 years Colleen Krochmal ; School
Board Members (2) for 3 years: Brian Winslow and Amy Hanavan.
Receiving the highest vote count of any candidate was incoming
Town Clerk/Tax Collector Savannah Audet in her first elected
position with 554 votes cast. She has been serving as Deputy
under Judy Pease who is retiring. In non-contested races the
following people were elected: Moderator (Town and School
District) Hal Kreider; Budget Committee (3) Daniel McNally, Jon
Boudreau, and Tom Chase; Library Trustee Betty Smith; Road Agent
Charles Pease; Cemetery Trustee John Schlang; Planning Board (2)
Betty Smith and Robert Strobel; Trustee of Trust Funds 3 years
Peter George; Trustee of Trust Funds 1 year Betsy Colburn;
School District Treasurer Betsy Colburn; and School District
Clerk Penny Hampl. Also elected with the highest number of
write in votes were: Budget Committee Grace Mattern; Supervisor
of the Checklist Judy Pease; and Cemetery Trustees (2)Taryn
Bassett and Chris Brown.
All
warrant articles on the town and school district ballots were
approved by voters, including the budget committee recommended
proposed budgets. The Northwood Narrows Fire Station Expansion
($200,000) and a five year lease/purchase ($110,900) of a new
backhoe received the go ahead. Voters also supported raising
$100,000 for town road construction and resurfacing; $84,000 for
the Red Listed Bridge fund, and smaller amounts to be deposited
to a long list of Capital Reserve and Expendable Trust Funds.
The
five zoning amendments recommended by the planning board were
all approved by voters. The one petition warrant article on the
town ballot, changed at deliberative session to pass legal
muster, to increase the board of selectmen from 3 to 5 members
was approved. This change will take effect next year when the
March 2019 ballot will also include the 2 additional open
positions to increase the board to 5.