ORANGE — Nomination papers are available for 19 town government seats to be filled at the next election.
The election will be held on Monday, March 4 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Orange Armory, 135 East Main St.
Nomination papers are available at the Town Hall, 6 Prospect St., until Jan. 10, and must be returned by Jan. 14. Nomination papers must contain the signatures of 25 registered voters to be valid.
Vacant offices include one Selectboard member for a three-year term; a town moderator for a one-year term; a Board of Health member for a three-year term; three constables for three-year terms each; three Elementary School Committee members for three-year terms each; one Elementary School Committee member for a two-year term; two Ralph C. Mahar Regional School Committee members for three-year terms each; two library trustees for three-year terms each; a water commissioner for a three-year term; a cemetery commissioner for a three-year term; a Trustees of Soldiers’ Memorials veteran member for a three-year term; a Trustees of Soldiers’ Memorials non-veteran member for a three-year term and a Housing Authority member for a five-year term.
The Selectboard, as the town’s chief executive body, contains five seats, but has had only four active members since May 2, 2018, when former Selectboard chairman and four-term member Richard Sheridan resigned. Sheridan has cited health issues and a feeling he “wasn’t doing the proper job at the time” as reasons for resigning.
The remaining Selectboard members chose not to fill Sheridan’s seat with a special election, and members Ryan Mailloux and Jane Peirce assumed the roles of chairman and vice chairwoman, respectively.
Sheridan has publicly stated his surprise at the lack of a special election, and said his resignation was never formally accepted by the Selectboard.
At an Oct. 24 Selectboard meeting, Sheridan said he should be allowed to return to his seat, and the lack of a special election is “depriving the people of proper representation.”
The Selectboard has not permitted Sheridan to return to his seat, with Mailloux reasoning that the voters, not the Selectboard, are the appointing authority for the position, and that Sheridan’s public resignation was indeed valid.
With questions about nomination papers, contact the town clerk at 978-544-1100, ext. 101.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.