By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Voters will be given plenty of choices in the annual Town Election on Tuesday, May 6. A total of 12 candidates returned their nomination papers by the deadline of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18.
Shortly after the deadline closed, Assistant Town Clerk Stephanie Connolly confirmed for the Transcript that all of the candidates who had returned their papers by the deadline had been certified, therefore, their names will appear on the ballot.
A minimum of 50 certified signatures of registered voters who reside in town is required on the nomination papers per MGL c53, §7.
Four-way race for Select Board
There will be a four-way race for two 3-year seats on the Select Board and a two-way race for the lone 2-year seat on the Community Planning Commission. The remaining races will be uncontested.
During the past week, five candidates returned their nomination papers and were subsequently certified: John Murphy for Town Moderator (1-year seat); Noelle Rudloff for School Committee (3-year seat); David Rudloff for Community Planning Commission (3-year seat); Jonathan Coste for Community Planning Commission (2-year seat); and Charles Carucci for Housing Authority (5-year seat).
The names of these candidates plus the seven candidates who were previously certified will appear on the May 6 ballot. They are: Select Board candidates Richard Wallner (incumbent), Michael Scarlata, Jeffrey Griffin and Catherine Morrin; incumbent School Committee member Jeff Friedman; incumbent Community Planning Commissioner Warren Pearce Jr. (3-year seat); and incumbent interim Community Planning Commissioner Edward Sheehan (2-year seat).
Kathryn Manupelli had taken out nomination papers for Select Board, but did not return them. Incumbent Select Board member Liane Gonzalez and incumbent Housing Authority member Michele Mawn did not take out nomination papers seeking reelection.
Friedman and Noelle Rudloff will not face opposition for their School Committee seats; Pearce and David Rudloff will not face opposition for their CPC seats; Murphy will be unopposed for Town Moderator and Carucci will be unopposed for Housing Authority.
Griffin is a sitting member of CPC with one year remaining on his first 3-year term. If he is elected to one of the two Select Board seats in this election he would have to step down from the CPC. Subsequently, under the Town Charter, a joint meeting of the Select Board and the CPC would be called seeking candidates to fill the remainder of his term and both boards would vote to appoint his successor who would serve until the May 2026 election.
Those with any questions on the Town Election process may call the office of Town Clerk Susan Duplin at 978-357-5230 or visit the Town Clerk’s page on the town website at northreadingma.gov/town-clerk