Recount sought in close race

School Board candidate Troy Palmer, who lost to Edward Caron by only three votes during Town Meeting balloting, has requested a recount, according to Town Clerk Barbara Courchesne.


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Recount sought in close race Rutland Herald | March 11, 2017 By SUSAN SMALLHEER STAFF WRITER SPRINGFIELD — School Board candidate Troy Palmer, who lost to Edward Caron by only three votes during Town Meeting balloting, has requested a recount, according to Town Clerk Barbara Courchesne. She said Friday she has scheduled the recount for 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Town Hall. “I just want to be sure. Three votes is a very small margin, and I didn’t want regret having not done it,” Palmer said. “Over the last several days I’ve had several encouraging emails from parents in the district, petitioning me, really, to ask for a recount. “It is a very small margin,” he said, referring to the final tally: 568-565. Palmer said two issues were behind his strong showing: Caron’s stand on closing Park Street School and the fact that Caron was unaware during last week’s candidates forum of the Springfield school’s low rankings in statewide assessments. “I believe there’s a different solution rather than shutting the whole building down,” Palmer said. He said he supported the administration staying in the former elementary school based on “the limited number of facts I have.” The School Board included about $100,000 in the $29 million budget that was approved on Tuesday to pay for the transition of administrative offices to another location. The money includes projected rental payments. The school board has not found a new location yet. Palmer and his wife are the parents of two elementary school children. Courchesne said Palmer requested that the 1,360 ballots cast on Tuesday be recounted by hand. She said the state recount process calls for two tallies, meaning the ballots would have to be counted twice by the Springfield Board of Civil Authority, which is made up of the Select Board and the justices of the peace. “We have to count everything twice, so it’s a laborintensive process,” she said. “That’s why I scheduled it to start at 9 a.m.” Courchesne, who has been town clerk for two years, said she started researching the recount process the day after town meeting, in case Palmer did request the recount. “If I still lose, that’s OK,” Palmer said. “My intention is to run again next year.”. He said he hadn’t decided whether he would personally attend the recount, as is allowed by law that makes recounts open to the public. Caron couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.