Norwood 2022: Norwood Elects Two New Selectmen

NORWOOD, MA - Norwood elected two new Selectmen in Monday's election, as Bob Donnelly topped the ticket and Amanda Grow bested incumbent Selectman Allan Howard, ushering new energy to the board.

Board of Selectmen

Two seats were up for grabs, as Howard's special election term to fill the vacancy left by the unexpected death of Selectman David Hajjar came to an end. Current Chair Tom Maloney did not run for reelection.

Donnelly, a Finance Commission member and longtime Town Meeting member, garnered 2,264 votes. Grow, who had run in the special election in January against Howard, beat him for the seat this round with 1,729 votes to the 1,626 Howard received. There were 5,626 votes cast in that race.

Donnelly and Grow each ran on a platform of bringing change to the board. Donnelly encouraged the town to be "more proactive than reactive," while Grow touted her expertise in renewable energy and software development. Howard stressed his experience in the role, working to convince big businesses including Moderna and the Skating Club of Boston to invest in Norwood. There were seven write-in ballots as well.

There were 3,533 votes cast out of 20,246 registered voters, equaling 17.45%, a relatively strong turnout for a spring election. However, there were also 1,440 blanks.

School Committee

In a spirited contest for two School Committee seats among five candidates where the upcoming change in school start times was the hot-button issue, incumbent Joan Giblin won reelection with 1,789 votes. Newcomer Kathleen "Katie" Sibbing-Dunn won the seat that became open when veteran member Myev Bodenhofer decided not to run for reelection to earn a two-year term uncontested on the Finance Commission. Sibbing-Dunn received 1,501 votes.

Giblin stressed her leadership during the pandemic, where she ensured that no teachers lost their jobs while providing students with the Remote Learning Academy and supplies including Chromebooks. She also kept the committee's pledge to limit non-mandated growth to under 3.5% of the budget.

Like Giblin, Sibbing-Dunn spoke about responsible financial stewardship, adding her experience on other town committees such as Norwood 150 and the Norwood Cultural Council. Her platform included better communication and an equitable educational experience for all students.

First-time candidate Michael Condon came in strong in third place with 1,394 votes, running on a campaign to oppose the recently announced change in school start times. Mark Whouley received 657 votes with his platform of advocacy for students receiving special education services. In fifth place, Tylor Tourville earned 453 votes in his campaign urging stronger leadership on the committee. There were also three write-in votes and 1,269 blanks.

Coakley Middle School debt exclusion approved

Voters also approved the debt exclusion to fund the new Coakley Middle School project 2,365-831. Town Meeting on March 14 approved the project 153-1. The project, which is expected to cost $150 million, will receive $46 million from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, or MSBA. There were 337 blanks cast on the only ballot question.

General Manager Tony Mazzucco, School Superintendent David Thomson, and the Middle School Building Committee, released the following statement after the results were counted:

“We are grateful to the residents of Norwood for their support of a new middle school building, which will provide numerous benefits not only to Norwood’s students, but to the community as a whole.

“The vote is a culmination of several years of planning and efforts between the town and Norwood Public Schools, the Middle School Building Committee (MSBC) and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and today's vote would not have been possible without the thorough and meticulous work of Compass Project Management and Ai3 Architects.

“The new building will be a worthy educational space for the children, educators and families served by the Norwood Public Schools, providing modern, accessible spaces that will foster student growth and development.

“We look forward to how the new building will energize our district and community in the years to come, and await the day that we welcome students to the new Coakley.”

Other Offices

In the uncontested elections, Gerri Slater became the new Town Moderator with 2,460 votes. Veteran Town Moderator David Hern decided not to seek reelection.

Carolyn Riccardi won the Board of Health seat with 2,596 votes.

In the Finance Commission race, Anne Haley and Alan Slater - who is also the chair of the Middle School Building Committee - won reelection to three-year terms. Haley received 2,248 votes, while Slater earned 2,197. Bodenhofer earned a two-year term seat with 2,231 votes, stressing her budgetary expertise on the School Committee.

Brian Hachey was reelected to the Planning Board with 2,284 votes.

James Perry won the constable seat with 2,362 votes.

Sheri McLeish received 2,308 votes for Library Trustee, while Donna Montgomery got 2,211 in the uncontested race.