Bjork School Committee Seat Will Be On April 24 Ballot

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington will have a seventh seat on the April 24 town election ballot, due to the resignation of School Committee member Steven Bjork.

The Board of Selectmen agreed at their Feb. 17 meeting to put the remaining two years of Bjork's term on the April 24 ballot as a special election.

The selectmen also had the option of calling a joint meeting with the School Committee to appoint a replacement for Bjork or putting it on the ballot next year. They opted to fill the seat by the earliest possible election.

"It is my strong preference that vacancies to elected offices should be filled by elections, not appointments," Board Chair Jonathan Eaton said.

School Committee members also spoke in favor of the special election.

"I'm comfortable with an election this coming April," School Committee Chair Jennifer Bryson said.

"If no one steps forward we can always opt for plan B," Committee Member M.J. Byrnes noted, referring to making an appointment.

The Board voted unanimously in favor of directing the town clerk to put the election on the April 24 ballot. Anyone seeking to run for the seat must get nomination papers from the town clerk's office and return them with 50 signatures of registered Wilmington voters by March 5.

The full meeting is available here from WCTV.

The following other seats are up for election:

• Two School Committee seats (3-year terms), held by Mary Jane Byrnes and David Ragsdale
• One Board of Selectmen seat, currently held by Board Chair Jonathan Eaton.
• Moderator, currently held by Rob Peterson, who said he is not running for re-election.
• One Housing Authority seat, currently held by Chair Ioannis Alefantis
• One Shawsheen Tech School Committee seat, currently held by James Gillis

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.