Mary Byrne
Following a recount of votes on Thursday, the Board of Assessors will officially become an appointed position rather than an elected one.
On the April 2 election ballot, Question 2 — whether the Board of Assessors should be appointed rather than elected — passed by 11 votes, 4,239-4,228. Within 10 days, however, a request for a recount was filed. The recount took place over two days this week at Town Hall.
According to the official tally, the ‘Yes’ vote prevailed, 4242-4238, a difference of four votes. Residents requested recounts in Precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,7, and 8.
Select Board Chair said the Select Board anticipates appointing a new member to the Board of Assessors at its meeting on May 13.
Ralph Jones, who represented the Yes campaign on Thursday, called the recount an impressive process.
“The recount was appropriate, given the close vote, which became even closer,” Jones said in a statement to The Voice. “The recount was managed in a professional manner. … My thanks go to the 40 citizens who spent this morning recounting every vote. My thanks also to those opposed to Question 2 who were diligent observers of the recount. Citizens came together to ensure that every vote counts in Belmont.”
Town Clerk Ellen O’Brien Cushman said the difference in this week’s vote compared to the vote count on April 2 was not unexpected.
Several factors can impact vote tabulation. For example, if a voter marks both Yes and No on their ballot, the vote tabulator cannot determine voter intent, and per state regulations, the vote is counted as blank. Additionally, if a voter marked an ‘X’ on their ballot and drew an arrow to indicate their preferred choice, the tabulator would not be able to determine voter intent and would mark it as blank.
“The 44 Recount Workers and staff of the Town Clerk’s office did a fabulous job today performing one of the most important services a democracy claims,” Cushman said.
Critical position
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 as a citizen petition from Precinct 8 Town Meeting member Angus Abercrombie.
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 allows the town to define job requirements and reporting structure.
According to the town website, the last recount in the town took place in April 2014, prior to this week’s recount. That recount was related to the Precinct 3 Town Meeting race.
