‘Strong fire chief’ question headlines Saturday’s Town Election

The lawn signs are sparse, the campaigning more incidental than in-your-face. Nevertheless: There’s a new red, white and blue mailbox for the Town Clerk’s office for ballots and in-person voting Saturday for the Grafton Town Election.

With no opposed races in the lineup, the only question this year is, well, a ballot question that seeks a charter change to allow a “strong” fire chief:

Shall the Town approve the charter amendment proposed by Article 14 of the November 7, 2020 Town Meeting relative to changing the form of the Grafton Fire Department from a Board of Fire Engineers to that of one headed by a “Strong” Fire Chief (so-called), with the authority to appoint same to be vested in the Select Board and render the required text changes to the Town Charter and Town By-Laws as necessary?”

Grafton’s May 22 ballot question

The move to a strong fire chief plays a key role in the hiring of a new chief to replace Mickey Gauthier, who retires this year. The new chief is considered the first to be a full-time town employee and, given the changes needed to the growing on-call department, officials believe the best candidates will be attracted to the job.

Town Administrator Evan Brassard said Gauthier now reports to the town administrator and is an at-will employee. A strong chief will have more autonomy in running the fire department, including hiring and firing staff and building the department’s budget.

While all seats up for election are unopposed, there will still be changes. On the Select Board, Ed Prisby is not seeking re-election, and will likely be replaced by Ray Mead, formerly the town moderator and a past selectman. Newcomer Dawn Anderson is expected to pick up the Town Meeting gavel as town moderator, filling in the last two years of the term left vacant by Daniel Concaugh’s resignation last fall.

Here’s who is on the Grafton Town Election ballot:

• Select Board (1- 3 year term)  — Raymond E. Mead
• Planning Board (2- 3 year terms) — Robert Hassinger, Justin B. Wood
• School Committee (2- 3 year terms) — Laura I. Often,  Elizabeth Anderson Spinney
• Library Trustees- (3- 3 year terms) — Douglas S. Bowman, Stephanie M. Teixeira, Aaron M. Vandesteen
• Town Moderator- (1- 2 year term- to fill a vacancy) — Dawn C. Anderson
• Grafton Housing Authority- (1- 5 year term) — James J. Gallagher

The election will be held on Saturday, May 22 with polls open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. 

• Precincts 1, 2, and 3 will vote at the Grafton Middle School located at 22 Providence Road, Grafton, Massachusetts 01519. 
• Precincts 4 and 5 will vote at the Millbury Street Elementary school located at 105 Millbury Street, Grafton, Massachusetts 01519. 

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