Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor has published the certified results of the Halifax town election last Saturday. Only 15.3% of Halifax’s 5,557 registered voters came out to cast their ballot with 852 total voters.
While there were few contested seats, R. Steven Hayward won election to the position of Highway Surveyor with 667 votes. His opponent, Michael J. Schleiff got 168 votes. There were 14 blanks and three write-ins.
Schleiff was also a candidate for Park Commissioner, but lost to incumbent John D. Campbell. Campbell won 597 votes to Schleiff’s 182. There were 72 blanks and one write-in.
Schleiff was also a candidate for Selectman, a position he had formerly held, this time running against incumbent Troy Garron. Garron won the contest with 627 votes to Schleiff’s 179. There were two write-ins and 44 blanks recorded.
The Halifax Elementary School Committee was looking for two candidates to be elected, from a field of five. Alison Vance got the most votes with 456, and second highest vote was Robert W. Johnson with 368. They will join the school committee at their next meeting. Alexander J. Meade won 207, Edward J. Bryan tallied 177, and John P. Sexton won 119 votes. There were 374 ballots that left the contest blank.
John J.R. Shiavone was unopposed in his re-election to the Board of Assessors, winning 670 votes. Blank were 174 and there were also seven write-ins.
John Delano won re-election to the Board of Health with 645 votes cast for him. There were 202 blanks and five write-ins.
Paul A. Delaney won election to a two-year term on the Library Board of Trustees. There were 202 blank and three write-ins.
Ralph W. Goodwin Jr. and Meredith M. Goodwin were elected to two three-year terms on the Library Board of Trustees with 629 votes for Meredith and 587 votes for Ralph. 483 were blank and there were five write-ins.
There were no candidates seeking election to the four-year term on the Halifax Planning Board. There were 814 left blank and 37 write-ins. If any are interested in serving, let Town Administrator Charlie Seelig know.
Gordon R. Andrews was unopposed in his election to the five-year term on the Planning Board, winning 640 votes. There were 203 blanks and nine write-ins.
Edward W. Desharnais, Jr., won re-election to his seat on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee with 621 votes. Blank were 227, and there were also four write-ins.
Richard A. Clark was elected to the Board of Water Commissioners with 651 votes. There were 198 left blank for that contest, and three write-ins.
The town’s vote turning down a debt exclusion to purchase a fire suppression system for the Halifax Elementary School, didn’t matter. The vote at Town Meeting to allow the project to proceed within the town’s budget made the question on the ballot irrelevant. The ballots were printed weeks in advance, so the question had to appear. Had Town Meeting turned down the article to finance the school’s sprinkler system through the regular budget, the vote would have been necessary to finance the project. Halifax Elementary School will have its fire suppression system financed within the town’s regular operating budget.