Town Meetings

March 12. 2013 9:09PM

Low turnout in Londonderry; most items pass

BY APRIL GUILMET
Union Leader Correspondent

LONDONDERRY -- With a low turnout Tuesday's, residents approved the new town and municipal operating budget, the replacement of ambulances and highway trucks and the hiring of an additional school resource officer.

Just 2,082 of the town's 14,721 registered voters cast ballots, according to Town Clerk Meg Seymour.

Town Article 3, the $27.5 million municipal operating budget, passed with 1,421 votes, with 577 voters in opposition.

The town will be required to raise $16,378,149 in property taxes, resulting in a tax rate impact of $4.74 per $1,000 dollars.

Town Article 4, a $710,000 purchase of new ambulances, highway trucks and other equipment, passed with 1,152 votes, with 846 voters opposed.

Passing by fewer than 100 votes was Article 8, for the $101,0000 hiring of a school resource officer. The item passed with 1,051 votes, with 961 votes in opposition.

Also passed was a collective bargaining agreement between the town and its executive employee's union.

Town Article 14, a petitioned article for the paving of a one-mile stretch of Londonderry's new Rail Trail, passed with 1,062 votes, with 966 voters in opposition.

Incumbent town councilors Tom Dolan and John Farrell were uncontested in their bids for another three-year term, with Dolan taking 1,463 votes and Farrell taking 1,373 votes. Forty-three voters entered write-in candidates for the town council seats.

Though challenged by newcomer Patti Hanley MacCabe, longtime town clerk/tax collector Meg Seymour overwhelmingly won another term with 1,229 votes. MacCabe earned 580 votes.

On the school side, incumbent School Board member John LaFerriere won another term with 1,534 votes, without challenge.

Article 2, a bonded item for district-wide school renovations and repairs, earned 1,147 votes but still failed by a narrow margin since a 60 percent vote was needed for its passage. Just fewer than 57 percent of participating voters favored the item, with 876 votes in opposition and 58 voters leaving the question blank.

AGuilmet@newstote.com