Martone, MacGillivray win seats in Springfield

Voters also passed both the town and school budgets.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150303/NEWS02/703039849

Len Emery photo Walter Martone won election to the Springfield select board. Published March 3, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Martone, MacGillvray win seats in Springfield By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Voters supported both the town and school budgets Tuesday, and also elected newcomer Walter Martone and Selectman Peter MacGillivray in the only race during Town Meeting. Martone and MacGillivray defeated Carol Cole and Selectman David Yesman: Martone had 806 votes, MacGillivray 768 votes, Cole 636, and Yesman 329. The $10.7 million town budget was passed by a healthy margin, 878-477. The $27 million school budget also passed, 724-626. “Hallelujah,” said School Board Chairwoman Jeanice Garfield. “Two years in a row!” Voters also approved setting up a demolition reserve fund to support the town’s efforts to cut down on blighted properties in town, and agreed to fund it with $100,000. They also gave the go-ahead for the Select Board to negotiate with solar developers for power contracts for as long as 25 years. The town expects to save $20,000 to $40,000 a year by using part of the solar-generated electricity in the town’s power mix. News of the school budget’s approval was met with hoots of support from a small crowd of people who gathered at Riverside Middle School to get the results from Town Clerk Barbara Courchesne. Martone moved to Springfield seven years ago from California, and he worked to get his name and face before the voters. Martone was a member of the Springfield Budget Committee. “He did an outstanding job of campaigning,” said MacGillivray, who stood outside in the cold at the Riverside polls all day with all four candidates, and had a red face to show for it. “He went door to door, he campaigned at the recycling center. Voters saw he was eager to do the job,” he said. Martone said he was excited and surprised that he came in first. Before the results were announced, Martone and the other candidates tried to thaw in the foyer to the gymnasium, where the tallying was taking place. Martone, who was a public works official for a northern California town with the same population as Vermont, said he really enjoyed his “neighborhood walks” getting to know people. “People were anxious for some kind of change,” Martone said. “They want faster progress.” He added, “I was the newcomer and I did everything I possibly could — I was out every day. It was fun, I learned so much.” Garfield immediately started texting School Superintendent Zach McLaughlin to give him the news about the school budget. “We’re thrilled,” Garfield said, adding that school officials worked hard to make the budget more understandable to the public. But she said she and McLaughlin were disappointed at the margin of victory — just under 100 votes. The school budget will result in an increase in taxes of 2 percent, Garfield said. The only social service organization that failed to get voter approval was Health Care and Rehabilitative Services, which is headquartered in Springfield. Voters turned down the $10,000 request on a 686-667 tally. HCRS was in the headlines last month when it was revealed that the organization, while not giving raises to its 600 employees, had given a $650,000 compensation package to retiring executive director Judith Hayward.