Voters will head to the polls in Athol, Petersham, and Royalston on Monday, April 6, for their annual town elections.
The only race on the Royalston ballot is to fill one of Athol’s seats on the Athol Royalston Regional School Committee, while voters in Petersham have two candidates to pick from to fill a seat on the town’s Board of Health.
A pair of Proposition 2 ½ override questions and contested races for Selectboard and School Committee are expected to boost turnout in Athol.
Athol Town Clerk Nancy Burnham said her office has received 119 requests for vote-by-mail ballots and 15 requests for ballots for absentee voting. Burnham explained that anyone can request a mail-in ballot, while those seeking an absentee ballot must excuse themselves from in-person voting for either religious or health reasons, or plans to be out of town on the day of the election. The number of vote-by-mail ballots requested, she said, is a bit higher than in recent years.
“That’s because we haven’t really had many controversial ballot questions or competitive races to bring people out,” she said.
Question 1 on the Athol ballot deals with a $1.8 million Proposition 2 ½ override, while Question 2 is for a $2.9 million Proposition 2 ½ override. Approval of the lesser override would, according to Town Manager Shaun Suhoski, provide the funds necessary to maintain staffing and municipal services at current levels.
The higher amount, Suhoski has said, would pay for additional personnel that officials feel are important to the town, including a human resources director, facilities manager and technology director.
Passage of Question 1 would result in an average increase to annual property tax bills of nearly $380, while Question 2, if approved, would increase the average annual tax bill by $610. Burnham has pointed out that if both questions are approved, the higher of the two proposals would be enacted.
In addition to the ballot questions, Athol voters must choose from five candidates to fill two three-year seats on the Selectboard. Candidates include incumbent Brian Dodge, as well as Alex Blake, Jr., Jon Costa, Margot Parrot and Russell Raymond.
In the race to fill the remaining two years on an unexpired term on the Athol Royalston Regional School Committee, former committee member Mitch Grosky is running against Emily Meuse, who received a temporary appointment to the committee last fall. School Committee incumbents Eric Jack and Emily White are running unopposed for reelection.
In Royalston, Steve Egan is the only candidate for Selectboard whose name will appear on Monday’s ballot. The only contest to be decided by Royalston voters is the race between Meuse and Grosky.
Incumbent Kiley Hall is running for reelection as a write-in candidate in both Athol and Royalston to represent Royalston on the School Committee.
Petersham’s election features a race between Cindy Hopper and Carole “Carly” Hutchinson for a three-year seat on the Board of Health. Josh Chernin is running unopposed for a three-year term on the Selectboard.
Polls in all three towns will be open Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Balloting will take place in each community’s town hall.