Question 2 Passes; Two Residents Draw Recount Petitions

The votes from Tuesday have been verified, and Belmont will now appoint rather than elect the Board of Assessors.

According to information from the Town Clerk’s office, voters passed Question 2, 4,239-4,228.

As polls closed Tuesday night, the tally was 4,218-4,210. That total did not include military and hand-counted ballots.

According to Town Clerk Ellen O’Brien Cushman, two people had come to the Clerk’s office Friday, seeking petitions for a recount.

Any registered voter can request a recount of local election results by filing a petition with the Town Clerk within 10 days of the election. The petition needs signatures from 10 registered voters in each precinct, and the deadline is Friday, April 12.

Assessors determine the value of a town’s real and personal property to calculate fiscal year tax rates. When elected, they must pass state training. According to the town, the assessors appraise about 8,000 parcels in Belmont.

In January, Town Meeting members voted 156-87 to bring the question to the ballot. It began life as a citizen petition from Precinct 8 member Angus Abercrombie.

With its passage, the Board of Assessors becomes the latest position shifted from elected to appointed. Last year, the town opted to change its treasurer from elected to appointed.

In 2022, the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management’s report on the town’s financial structure recommended improving government by shifting the treasurer and assessors to appointed positions to foster closer coordination between town financial functions.

According to the state Division of Local Services, the benefits of moving local officials from elected to appointed include a wider candidate pool of people with relevant professional experience. It also provides the opportunity for the town to define job requirements and reporting structure.