Derry Candidates Night: 2 candidates, 8 attendees, 9 minutes

By Bruce Frauman
©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC

At an extremely short and sparsely attended Londonderry Candidates Night, held at the Twitchell Building on Tuesday, Feb. 13, two candidates showed up, one an incumbent seeking a second term to the Londonderry Select Board.

Select Board interim chair Jim Ameden, standing, opens the Londonderry Candidates Night. Photo by Bruce Frauman.

Tom Cavanagh, who is completing the final year of the three-year term Jim Ameden resigned from for personal reasons in 2016, told the assembled eight,  “I’ve been on the board almost a year now.  I’m going to run again.  I think we’re doing a good job. The board works together pretty well.”

No one expressed an interest in running for the one year left of the three-year term held by Select Board member Paul Gordon, who resigned in December preparing for a move south.

And Bob Forbes, whose two-year term is up this year, has yet to declare for re-election although Treasurer Tina Labeau said Forbes is considering filling out Gordon’s remaining year to see through the construction of the salt and sand shed.

With just one candidate declaring and two terms expiring and one unfinished term to fill, unless someone announces for office on social media, voters won’t be able to decide how to vote for Select Board on Town Meeting Day, which begins at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6. It will be held at the old Town Hall, 139 Middletown Road in South Londonderry.

First Constable Roger Sheehan also announced he would run for re-election.

There are a total of 13 elected positions whose terms expire this year and will be on the ballot on Town Meeting Day. Every incumbent is expected to run for reelection, according to those attending Candidates Night. There are no known challengers.

Those positions are:

  1. Select Board member for 3 years, currently held by Tom Cavanagh.
  2. Select Board member for 2 years, held by Bob Forbes.
  3. Select Board member to fill out 1 year of a three year term. Vacant.
  4. Lister for 3 years, held by Debra O’Leary.
  5. First Constable for 1 year, held by Roger Sheehan.
  6. Second Constable for 1 year, held by Nick Doane.
  7. Collector of Delinquent Taxes for 1 year, held by Joan Dayton.
  8. Town Grand Juror for 1 year, held by Peter Pagnucco.
  9. Town Agent for 1 year, held by Alex Alexander.
  10. Cemetery Commissioner for 5 years, held by Melvin Twitchell.
  11. Trustee of Public Funds for 3 years, held by Pauline Davison.
  12. Moderator for 1 year, now held by Doug Friant.
  13. Trustee of the Library for 3 years, now held by Margot Wright.

The meeting, led by Select Board interim chair Jim Ameden, broke up after nine minutes.

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