LYNNFIELD — The high school hosted Saturday’s town election that saw two percent of local registered voters head to the polls.
Town Clerk Linda Emerson, in a prelude to precautions that will define this Saturday’s Town Meeting on the high school football field, worked to ensure voters and poll workers took coronavirus precautions.
“Our goal is to use caution, keep everyone safe, and abide by our election laws,” Emerson said.
With 9,333 voters registered for the election, 187 came to the high school to decide uncontested races for town office. Board of Selectmen Chairman Philip B. Crawford was reelected to a three-year term with 144 votes cast for him.
School Committee Chair Jamie S. Hayman won a three-year term with 177 votes — the most cast for any candidate on Saturday.
Board of Assessors member Bonnie J. Celli, running for another three-year term, received 164 votes. Edward P. Champy III, running for a five-year Planning Board term, received 158 votes.
Joseph A. Markey received 167 votes to win another one-year term as Town Moderator.
Elected last April, Markey scrambled during late winter, along with meeting moderators in towns across Massachusetts, to evaluate coronavirus’ initial impact on meeting plans with regards to social distancing.
After consulting the Board of Selectmen and the town health director, Markey decided to set Town Meeting dates and then issue a “declaration of recession” to delay the meeting to a new date.
He has already declared the April and May meetings recessed and set June 20 as a new date with the meeting scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. at the high school.
“The meeting will be held outside. I intend to declare additional continuances of up to 30 days each as necessary to defer the meeting until it can be held safely. In considering further deferrals, I will continue to consult with the Board of Selectmen and others,” Markey said in a statement.
Cortland Lane resident John L. Nunziato won a five-year term on the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners receiving 169 votes.
Attorney Stephanie Petty received 57 votes to secure a two-year Housing Authority Board of Commissioners term. She was appointed by the Board of Selectmen in February to fill a vacant board seat.
Petty sought successfully to win a seat on the board by appealing to voters to write her name in on their ballots. All told, 68 write-in votes were cast for the board seat with 119 ballots left blank. Emerson said no one took out nominations for the vacant seat.
Library Trustee Robert D. Calamari won a three-year term receiving 174 votes — the second-highest total for the day, and Lovell Road resident Andrew P. Kenneally received 171 votes for Library trustee.
Voter turnout was highest in Precinct One followed by Precinct Four.
