Published in the February 1, 2018 edition

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — Incumbent Selectman Stephen J. O’Leary will pursue his sixth consecutive three-year term on the board in the May 8 annual election.

O’Leary, of 15 Meade Road, pulled his nomination papers at the Town Clerk’s office on Monday. Elected to his first three-year term in 1988, O’Leary has served the town as a selectman for over 22 out of the last 30 years.

After serving his first term from 1988-91, he lost his re-election bid in a three-way race to William Bellino and John Washburn. Six years later, he was elected to the office again in 1997 and was then re-elected to a second term 2000, but midway through this term he resigned in December of 2001.

Marci Bailey finished the remainder of that term when she was elected to fill the unexpired term in a special election held in Feb. 2002.

O’Leary ran again in 2003 and won. He has been subsequently re-elected to the position every three years in 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015.

O’Leary is the third candidate to pull nomination papers for the May 8 election. John J. Murphy, 13 Duane Dr., has taken out nomination papers seeking to return to the position of moderator for his 14th consecutive one-year team.

Political newcomer Richard F. McGowan of 46 Chestnut St. is seeking one of the two three-year terms on the School Committee.

Incumbent School Committee Vice Chairman Jerry Venezia will not seek reelection to the post he has held since 1999, he told the Transcript. Incumbent Julie Koepke, who is completing her first three-year term, is also up for re-election to the School Committee but has not announced her plans.

Selectman Kathryn Manupelli is up for reelection this spring as well. She has not yet announced her intention.

Neither of the two incumbents on the Community Planning Commission who are up for re-election for their three-year terms have announced their intentions. They are William Bellavance and Joseph Veno.

One five-year term on the Housing Authority is up for renewal this year as well. This seat is also held by Veno.

March 20 deadline

Tuesday, March 20 at 5 p.m. is the deadline for candidates to return their nomination papers to the office of the Town Clerk. Nomination papers must be endorsed by a minimum of 50 certifiable signatures of registered North Reading voters to be included on the ballot. Town Clerk Barbara Stats advises all candidates to obtain more than the minimum number of signatures by the deadline to cover any potentially disqualified signatures.

Once a candidate is certified as eligible to run for an elective office, the last day that candidate can choose to withdraw his or her name from the ballot is Thursday, April 5 at 5 p.m.

The last day a resident of the town can register to vote to participate in the May 8 annual town election is Wednesday, April 18 at 8 p.m., Stats said. Town Hall will be open late on both of those dates to accommodate voters, as mandated by state law, she added. Early voting is not available for any local elections in the state, she said.

Candidates for any municipal office are required to file campaign finance reports on specific dates per the provisions of Mass. General Law Chapter 55. Those with questions about this process may contact the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance for assistance by phone: 617-727-8352, email: ocpf@cpf.state.ma.us or visit the website at www.mass.gov/ocpf.

For additional assistance the public may also call the Town Clerk’s office at 978-357-5218.