Harrington seeking 3-year assessor seat; school incumbents face challenge

Ex-Town Meeting veteran eyes housing board

UPDATED, Feb. 23: Late in the game, Arlington finally has two contests for the March town election: Alexis G. Moisand, a 20-year-old Lesley University student, is challenging two veteran incumbents for School Committee to provide a younger voice, and Precinct 13 Town Meeting member Stephen T. Harrington will run fpor the the three-year term for Board Assessors. He is withdrawing from the one-year spot for assessor, Town Clerk Stephanie Lucarelli said Monday, Feb. 23, pone day before deadline to decide.

With the signatures on his nomination papers certified, the Arlington High grad is expected to face Jeff Thielman and Cindy Starks. The former has been on the committee since 2003; the latter since 2009.

Harrington took out papers for two seats, and they were certified, but he could not run for both.

Lucarelli said Feb. 12 that Harrington needed to tell her his decision by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, the deadline for candidates to withdraw.

YourArlington had emailed Harrington asking him which seat he preferred, but he did not respond. On Jan. 20, the website’s publisher mailed a certified letter to Harrington’s home with a letter asking the same question. The Postal Service returned the letter after the recipient refused it.

For the Housing Authority, Bridgett James decided not to seek reelection after the state last year approved the governor’s public-housing legislation requiring a tenant be on the board. Longtime former Town Meeting member Joseph S. Daly is seeking the seat.

As to the housing seat, John Griffin, authority executive director, said the state Department of Housing and Community Development has not yet issued regulations on the exact process on filling a board seat with a tenant.

Here is a listing as of Feb. 11 for the key seats in the March 28 town election; their papers have been certified:

Selectmen: (3 years)

Joseph A. Curro Jr.

Steven M. Byrne

Assessor: (3 years)

Kevin P. Feeley

Stephen T. Harrington

Assessor: (1 year)

Robert E. Greeley

School Committee: (3 years)

Cindy Starks

Jeffrey D. Thielman

Alexis G. Moisand

Arlington Housing Authority: (5 years)

Joseph S. Daly

Until Dec. 30, no new potential candidate had taken out papers in any key seat for the town election. That day, Precinct 13 Town Meeting member Harrington took out nomination papers for two assessor seats.

In response to a question from YourArlington, Lucarell wrote Jan. 8 that, according to Town Counsel Douglas Heim, Harrington cannot run for both seats. Heim reported Jan. 9 the law that applies, Mass. General Laws c. 54 sec. 41 and cited and cited the relevant part:

“The name of any person shall not be printed on the official ballot or on ballot labels more than once as a candidate for the same office nor more than once for any office wherein a full term and a partial term running concurrently are to be filled.”

Heim wrote: “This provision has been consistently interpreted to signify that while a person may take out nomination papers for more than one seat on the same elected body, they cannot functionally return more than one set of papers for multiple seats in the same office. There are some additional issues and sources of restrictions in different scenarios, but this is the primary statutory basis for the reason you may only run for one seat within the same office.”

July interview recorded

During the public interview of James Doherty last summer, Harrington recorded the proceedings on his cellphone as another videotaped. Doherty was seeking the position of head of assessments, vacated in April when John Speidel resigned.

The July 2 story reports: “Before the interviews, Harrington offered citizen comment. He asked members to ‘pay close attention to this choice,’ because the board needs transparency, adding that ‘in last year that has not been true.’

“He referred Doherty’s role as a developer. He said he would feel ‘put upon’ by someone in the job with an ‘ongoing conflict.'”

Doherty later turned down the job, and Paul Tierney began work in October. 

In 2012, 13 candidates for main town offices contended for the April town election, a number Arlington had not seen since 1993. That year, six took out papers for the two seats on the School Committee.

For 2015, the town election will be held in March for the first time since 2001.

2015 election calendar >>

This story was published Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, and updated Feb. 12.