Whiteside, Wurts reelected to Select Board

Incumbent Select Board Chair Judith Whiteside and incumbent Select Board member Tricia Wurts both won reelection on Tuesday, May 2. 

Former Select Board member Jim Munise lost his bid to unseat one of the current Board members in the only contested race on Tuesday’s ballot.

As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, Whiteside had received 427 votes (29%), Wurts had received 485 votes (33%) and Munise had received 358 votes (24%). At press time, 1,464 votes had been counted. 

“I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me,” Whiteside said, “and I look forward to serving the town for another three years.” 

Whiteside credited her victory to her 40 years of town government experience, as well as her recent accomplishments, such as leading the campaign for the town to purchase the Little Harbor Golf Course in 2022.

As Chair, she said that she made it a priority to educate new Board members Jared Chadwick, Ron Besse and Tricia Wurts about their role. 

“I don’t really consider it as me winning,” Wurts said. “I consider it as: Judith and I won, so the town really won. Judith has the expertise and a depth of knowledge about this town, and I have begun to grow that knowledge… I also bring a bunch of new ideas with me, and we have worked together well this year. I think we’ll work together well for the next three years.” 

In her campaign, Wurts emphasized the need to increase communication between the town and residents, as well as between local government committees. 

She said that her experience interviewing citizens on behalf of the Redevelopment Authority taught her the importance of asking direct questions. 

This was Wurts’s third campaign in as many years, after an unsuccessful write-in campaign in 2021 and a successful campaign to finish the term of outgoing Board member Peter Teitelbaum in 2022. 

Munise could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Munise wanted to increase communication by improving the town website and bringing public comment back to Select Board meetings. 

“I’d like to see clear and transparent government, and open government, and I don’t think we have that,” Munise said at the Candidates’ Night Q&A on April 27.

Whiteside said that she’s already working to get town committees to communicate more. 

Munise also wanted to repurpose the closed Decas School building into a new site for the Council on Aging. Whiteside said that the idea was a financial impossibility, while Wurts said that she would have to study the matter further. 

Bob Scanlan, who ran a write-in campaign, and Bernard Pigeon ran unopposed for two open Sewer Commission seats.

Incumbent School Committee Chair Kevin Brogioli and incumbent School Committee Secretary Joyce Bacchiocchi ran unopposed. 

Incumbents Priscilla Porter and James McCahill ran unopposed for three-year seats on the Board of Assessors, incumbent Robert Powliatis ran unopposed for a five-year seat on the Housing Authority and incumbent Shelli Mobilia ran unopposed for another three-year term as town constable.