By Lenny Strauss
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
On April 28th, the Town of Westwood held its annual town elections, ushering in new members to various parts of town government. Inhabitants of all five town precincts converged at the Westwood High School Gymnasium, voting in a Town Assessor, Housing Authority member, two Library Trustees, several planning and select board members, a Sewer Commissioner and Town Moderator for multiple-year terms. Prior to Election Day, Westwood residents were mailed warrants outlining not just positions up for election but also key issues facing the town for the upcoming year. Key highlights included the Select Board’s appropriation of available funds for police, fire, and DPW salaries, as well as budgets for ambulance services and snow/ice removal equipment, totaling just over $1.5 million. The warrant broke down several key areas of the town’s budget and how funds would be distributed. These articles represented the main areas of focus for the proposed use of the town’s budget.
One article looked to raise and appropriate funds to purchase additional equipment for the DPW, Fire, and Police Departments, ranging from radio upgrades and roadway improvements to new vehicles and facility maintenance. Other areas included appropriation of funds for school, library, and sewer system improvements. General bylaw amendments were also introduced with options to update methods of town meeting votes; land transfers that include the Obed Baker House Wetlands and Deerfield schools; and minor housekeeping related to how the Select Board holds special meetings. Finally, two other points were introduced within the warrant: an upcoming vote on how solar battery storage systems are stored within town and how they are zoned, and a redefinition of “pet care facilities," particularly in how permits for animal daycare facilities and licenses should be properly issued.
Of the over 12,500 registered voters in town, only 2,774 voted in the annual election, representing only a 22% town participation rate. Town Assessor Mark Murphy handily won his re-election bid, as did Planning Board members Philip Giordano and Timothy Haladyna. First-time entrant Katie Willette won her bid as a school committee member, as did town selectmen Joseph Previtera and Erin Sibley. Francis Macpherson Jr. was re-elected as Sewer Commissioner for a new three-year term. As the town turns a new chapter and begins a new fiscal year, the voters look to their representatives to continue to push for the betterment and continuous improvement of their wonderful town.
