FREEPORT

While the town waits for confirmation of a Regional School Unit 5 withdrawal referendum, nomination papers are rolling in ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for several municipal and school board seats up for grabs in November.

Town Clerk Tracey Stevens said Monday that she is in the process of certifying papers for incumbent District 2 councilor Sarah Tracy, who is running uncontested, and at-large councilor Rich DeGrandpre.

A challenger, William Rixon, has also taken out papers for the at-large seat. District 3 councilor Christina Egan, vice chairwoman of the Freeport Town Council, took out papers but had not yet returned them as of Monday afternoon.

“We have five days to certify them from the date of submission,” said Stevens. “We have to look at a spreadsheet to make sure there aren’t duplicate signatures.”

If a person signs more than one set of papers, their signature goes to the candidate who turns the papers in first, said Stevens.

“We also have to look in the statewide voter registration system to make sure the signatures are of people who are registered voters who are registered in the municipality the candidate is running in,” said Stevens. “There’s quite a bit involved and it can take some time.”

Tracy was elected to the council with 304 votes at a March 20, 2013, special election to replace councilor Kate Arno, who resigned her position. At that election, opponent Joyce Clarkson- Veilleux received 133 votes.

Egan has served on the council since November 2011, replacing incumbent councilor Joe Migliaccio with a tally of 494-381. DeGrandpre ran against Marie Gunning for the at-large seat in the November 2011 election, and won 1,585- 1,391.

Valid nomination papers for District 2 and 3 are required to have 50 signatures, while the councilor at-large position requires 100 signatures.

Two seats are also opening on the sixmember RSU 5 board of directors. Incumbent chairman Nelson Larkins and incumbent Beth Parker have both turned in papers, which are currently being certified, said Stevens.

Two challengers have also turned in papers for seats on the school board: Charly Haversat and Lindsay Sterling. Valid nomination papers for these seats must receive 100 signatures.

It is not yet certain if a withdrawal referendum will be on the Nov. 4 election ballot, said Stevens, as the town is waiting for confirmation from the Maine Department of Education.

“We have to be notified 35 days before the election,” said Stevens. “I’ve been in communication with them to let them know we’d like to receive that (confirmation) within 45 days so we can get it in time for our printing deadline.”

Sewer District Board of Trustees incumbents chairman Michael Ashby and Sally Leland have returned papers for another term on the board. A challenger, Gerald Kennedy, has also turned in papers. Nomination papers require 25 signatures for these seats.

Thomas Hudak is running uncontested for a seat on Water District Board of Trustees. Board member Edmund Theriault’s term is expiring, said Stevens, and he did not take papers out to re-run. Nomination papers for this seat require 25 valid signatures.

Nomination papers must be returned to the Freeport town clerk no later than 6 p.m. on Sept. 10. For more information, call Stevens at 865-4743 or email at [email protected].

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