Wenham Approves Budget, Mullen Zoning Changes and Election Date Change

The 2013 Wenham town budget of $16.1 million was approved at Wenham’s Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, including the school budget as proposed by the School Committee.

Voters overwhelming backed the rest of the town meeting warrant articles, including using $50,000 from the water surplus fund to pay for required improvements to the Pleasant Street pump station. The l was approved as part of the town budget. A motion to drop funding from the four cruisers – to the outright purchase of two cruisers – was voted down.

The approved budget also includes a new police patrolman, laborer and librarian, which would be partially funded by Hamilton.

If property values were to stay the same, the approved budget would result in a reduction of the tax rate from $17.89 per $1,000 value to $17.88.

A total of 185 voters checked in at Town Meeting, exceeding the quorum of 139. A total of 352 voters came to the polls during the town election in the morning.

In all, it took voters three and a half business to work through all 18 articles, including several that were passed over and five artciles that were handled together in a consent calendar.

Voters also approved . The move would make the election of officers coincide with any ballot vote required as a follow-up to town meeting and increase the amount of the time that the polls are open from four hours to 13 hours.

The was approved overwhelmingly and – with only a few voters in opposition – applied to the Mullen property on Essex Street. The approval paves the way for a project on the property to push forward.

Hamilton-Wenham Patch provided live updates from the meeting and to get a complete recap of all of the meeting debate and votes,

The only contested race on the ballot was for three, three-year terms on the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School Committee. Those results will be sealed until May 24, after Hamilton votes. The top three vote getters from the field of five candidates will be elected. Votes for Trustee will also be sealed until after Hamilton votes.

John Clemenzi’s name was still on the ballot but he announced last month he was withdrawing himself from the race and endorsed his opponent, Ken Whittaker, who was elected.

Town Election Results

Moderator

Paul Weaver 301

Blanks 50

Town Clerk

Trudy Reid 312

Blanks 40

Selectmen

John Clemenzi 67 (withdrew)

Kenneth Whittaker 266

Blanks 18

Assessor

Richard Fleming (write-in) 15

Blanks 330

Planning Board

Virginia Rogers 264

Blanks 88

Tree Warden

Pierre Erhard 274

Blanks 72

Write-In 6

Board of Health

Gerald Donnellan 270

Blanks 82

Cemetery Commissioner

Bryant Barnard 266

Blanks 86

Housing Authority (One-year term)

Donald Luxton 286

Blanks 66

Housing Authority (Five-year term)

Bruce Blanchard 289

Blanks 63

Water Commissioner

Paul Mendonca 275

Blanks 77