Open offices: What’s up in Chester, Andover, Grafton, Weston and Londonderry

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Next week: We’ll outline the fiscal articles that will be on the ballots for Andover, Chester, Grafton, Londonderry and Weston.

Chester petitions due Monday

Petitions to run for elective office in Chester are due at the Town Office by 5 p.m. Monday Jan. 26. According to Chester Town Clerk Deb Aldrich, petitions for any of the offices below can be picked up at Town Hall between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. To be eligible the candidate must be a registered voter in the town of Chester (except for a Whiting Library Trustee position) and the petitions must consist of the signatures of one percent of the voter checklist, although Aldrich suggests 25-30 signatures of registered Chester voters to be safe. An asterisk (*) indicates an office where no petitions have been taken out.

Chester Town School District moderator: one-year term, Chester Town moderator: one year term; Lister: one three-year term and one unexpired two-year term; Select Board: two one-year terms and one  three-year term; Town Grand Juror: one-year term; Agent to Defend Suits: one-year term; Trustee of Public Funds: one three-year term; Trustees of the Whiting Library: three  three-year terms; Auditor: one  three-year term; * Chester Town School District director: one three-year term; Chester-Andover Elementary School director: one three-year term; Green Mountain Union High School director: one three-year term; * Budget Committee: six  three-year terms.
If you have any questions you can call the Town Clerk’s Office at 875-2173.

Andover elects from floor

Three Select Board slots are up for election this year in the Town of Andover – one three-year and two one-year positions. Also up for a vote will be the paid part-time positions of Treasurer and Tax Collector, currently held by Town Clerk Linda Bargfrede. Should no one run for those positions, she will continue to perform those duties.

Other positions, according to Bargfrede, include Lister (three years); Auditor (three years); Constable; Sexton; and Agent to Defend Suits (all one-year); Cemetery Commissioner (three years); and three-year terms for Green Mountain Union High, Chester-Andover Elementary and Town School board directors. All elected offices and budget issues will be voted from the floor.  Andover voters will meet on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Town Hall and will begin with the school meeting at 10 a.m. and town government votes immediately following.

On Tuesday, March 3, Andover voters will vote by paper ballot on the school budgets of Green Mountain Union High and Chester-Andover Elementary schools.

Grafton Town Meeting, Australian votes on March 3

The Town of Grafton will be holding its Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 3 beginning at 10 a.m. at Grafton Elementary School on School Street.

While voters can listen to the arguments for and against the articles that will be voted on from the floor, they can also vote by secret ballot on town and school district officers at the same address from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Offices that will appear on the Australian ballot are:

Select Board: one three-year term and one two-year term; Auditor, Lister, Trustee of Public Funds, Trustee of Campbell & Woolson Funds, and Trustee of the Library: each needs to fill one three-year term; and School Directors: two two-year terms and one three-year term.

Londonderry holds Candidates Night

In Londonderry nominations for office are made from the floor at Town Meeting. which will be held at the old town hall at 139 Middletown Road at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 3.

A Candidates Night has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10 at the Town Office Building, 100 Old School St. in South Londonderry. Candidates Night is an annual event held to give candidates for town offices a forum to announce their candidacy, speak about their interest in the position and answer questions from the public.

Offices on the ballot in Londonderry:

Moderator – one-year term; Treasurer – three-year term with 2 years remaining*; Select Board – one two-year and one three-year term; Lister – three-year term; First Constable – one-year term; Second Constable – one-year term; Delinquent Tax Collector – one-year term; Town Grand Juror – one-year term; Town Agent – one-year term; Cemetery Commissioner – five-year term; Trustee of Public Funds – three-year term; Trustee, Library Association – three-year term; Parks Board – One term each for one, two, three, four and five years.  *The Treasurer election will be to fill the last two years of a three-year term.

Weston Town Meeting

Weston voters will go to Town Meeting at the Weston Playhouse starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday March 3. Nominations for town offices can be made from the floor and voting will follow with contested offices voted by paper ballot.

Offices on the ballot in Weston:

Moderator – One one-year term; Town Clerk – One one-year term; Town Treasurer – One one-year term; Select Board – One three-year term, one two-year term and one one-year term; RED School Director – One three-year term; Lister – One three-year term; Library Trustee – One five- year term; Trustee of Public Funds – One three-year term; Cemetery Commissioner – One one-year term; Town Constable – Two one-year terms; Collector of Delinquent Taxes – One one-year term; Town Grand Juror – One one-year term; Town Agent – One one-year term.