ORANGE — Nomination papers are now available for the town’s upcoming election cycle. There are 18 municipal seats available.
Those who wish to appear on the ballot must take out and return nomination papers, available at the town clerk’s office at Town Hall, 6 Prospect St. The town clerk’s office is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but closed from 12:30 to 1 p.m. It is also open on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., but closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Nomination papers may be obtained until Thursday, Feb. 6, and must be returned to the town clerk by Monday, Feb. 10.
The following offices will appear on the ballot:
■Two seats on the Selectboard (three-year terms)
■Town moderator (one-year term)
■Town clerk (three-year term)
■Board of Health (three-year term)
■Two three-year seats on the Elementary School Committee, and one two-year seat
■Two seats on the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School Committee (three-year terms)
■Two library trustees (three-year terms)
■Water commissioner (three-year term)
■Two cemetery commissioner positions, one with a three-year term and the other with a one-year term
■Two trustees of Soldiers’ Memorials, one with a three-year term and one with a two-year term
■Housing Authority (five-year term)
The annual town election will be held Monday, March 30, at the Orange Armory, 135 East Main St. The date has been moved back due to the presidential primary, which will be held in early March.
Of the two Selectboard seats that will appear on the ballot in March, one is currently held by Vice Chair Jane Peirce, whose term is set to expire. Peirce said she intends to seek re-election. The other seat is vacant.
Orange’s Selectboard is arranged to have five members when full, but the Selectboard has had a vacancy for the majority of time since Orange changed to a five-person Selectboard.
Voters chose to increase the membership from three to five members at a Special Town Meeting in 2017, with that change coming to fruition at the town election on March 5, 2018.
On May 2, 2018, then-Chair Richard Sheridan resigned abruptly, later citing health reasons and differences with the other Selectboard members, particularly regarding the town administrator hiring process, as reasons to leave. The Selectboard chose not to hold a special election to fill Sheridan’s seat, choosing to remain a four-person body until the next election.
On March 4 of this year, Bill Wrigley was elected, and the Selectboard was again at full membership.
However, only a few months later in May, then-Clerk Jim Cornwell resigned. Cornwell has not publicly explained his reasons for resigning, stating only, “I refused to be consumed by stress and I refused to be stressed by foolishness.”
By the time of the upcoming election, Orange will have had a five-person Selectboard for about 25 months, and 17.5 of those months will have had a vacancy.
Of the other Selectboard members, Chair Ryan Mailloux and Tom Smith have terms expiring in 2021, and Bill Wrigley’s term expires in 2022.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.