ROCKPORT — The chairperson of the Select Board has decided not to run for reelection.
After 18 years on the board, Sarah Wilkinson said the time is right to step down.
“I always said that I would stop running when I felt the time was right and I felt like I was leaving the town in a better place than when I started,” she said. “I am so proud of where the town is right now on so many fronts. It just feels right.”
Wilkinson said it has been a great honor to serve Rockport residents for 18 years, and she is grateful to have served with her fellow board members, town employees and residents.
“Special thanks to my husband, boys, who weren’t even born when I started this, and my family,” she said. “They have made it possible for me to give so much of my time and support me every single day in all that I do. I am sure they will continue to support whatever crazy thing I do next.”
Wilkinson’s exit opens the door for residents to challenge for two seats on the five-member Select Board. A term is for three years.
Select Board member Herman S. Lilja is the only incumbent up for reelection this year, and the race is the only contest on the ballot for the May 7 town election, Town Clerk Melanie Waddell said.
Lilja faces a challenge from residents Laura F. Evans and Donald J. Southard. The three candidates, and others on the May 7 ballot had submitted the required number of registered Rockport voters’ signatures on their nomination papers before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline and were certified for the election by Waddell.
Evans, a founding member of the Rockport Affordable Housing Coalition, announced her candidacy Wednesday.
Southard, a Connecticut native, has served on the Rockport Finance Committee for the past eight years.
The name of the Select Board became official March 8 when it was formally signed into law March 8 by Gov. Maura Healey, Waddell said. The former name was Board of Selectmen.
Uncontested races on the ballot are:
School Committee: Incumbent Mark Lorenz and newcomer Jessica Delisi are vying for two open seats, each for a three-year term.
Assessor of Taxes: Incumbent Timothy W. Good IV, for a three-year term.
Planning Board: Chairperson Jason Lowell Shaw is seeking another three-year term.
Library Trustee: Joseph Edward Dapper, for a three-year term.
Waddell said there is an opportunity for a write-in candidate to win two-year seat on the Housing Authority.
“All local elections are unique,” she said. “Change starts at the local level. If you want to see change, be part of the change.”
The last day to object or withdraw before the annual Town Election is April 4 at 5 p.m.
The upcoming election will mark the second local election overseen by Waddell, who was elected town clerk in May 2022.
“We successfully administered the local election in 2023,” she said. “I love what I do and am grateful the town has entrusted me with the integrity of their elections.”
Early and vote-by-mail voting
Early voting will take place Tuesday, April 30, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Wednesday, May 1, and Thursday, May 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the clerk’s office at Town Hall, 34 Broadway, Waddell said.
Vote-by-mail is available for the local election. Applications can be found in the clerk’s office, on the town clerk’s webpage at www.rockportma.gov/266/Town-Clerk, or on the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website, www.sec.state.ma.us.
“If voting by mail, we appreciate the effort to return it to the town clerk’s office as soon as possible,” Waddell said. “It really helps in the facilitation of the process.”
Ballots can also be returned in the ballot drop box on the parking lot side of Town Hall or to Town Clerk’s office.
“We already have over 1,500 applications on file,” Waddell said. “Ballots will be mailed the second or third week of April. This will be a very busy year, but with all of the preparations we have made and best practices now in place, we are confident in the process and as ready as ever.”
Stephen Hagan may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or shagan@gloucestertimes.com.