Barowsky beat Richard Foster who will be running for the board again the the annual town election next month.
Mark BarowskyLONGMEADOW – Mark Barowsky is the newest member of the Select Board after beating opponent Richard Foster in a special election Tuesday by 214 votes to Foster’s 114.
“I’m thankful to everyone who came out on this rainy day to vote,” he said after the results of the special election were read Tuesday night.
Town Clerk Katherine Ingram said turnout was extremely low with only 328 of the town’s 11,869 registered voters visiting the polls, about 3 percent.
“I’m not surprised at all. I was expecting less than 5 percent, and the rain didn’t help,” she said.
Barowsky has seven years of experience on the Finance Committee, which he hopes to use when it comes to dealing with the fiscal 2013 budget. He will have to resign his seat on the committee in order to fill the one-year seat on the Select Board.
“I’m looking forward to getting started,” he said.
Although Foster lost this election, his name will be on the ballot again for a three-year seat on the board, which will be voted on during the annual election June 12.
“I will just keep working and preparing for the annual election,” Foster said. “It was a low turnout today, but I’m sure there will be more people for the annual election in June.”
Some voters may be confused when they see the ballot in June since Barowsky’s name is also on the ballot for that seat.
Ingram said the ballots were ordered before the special election and cannot be changed.
If he were voted for again Barowsky would have to resign from one seat and another special election would have to be held. Barowsky said he will stand outside the polls on June 12 to clear up any confusion.
“I plan to be out there and make sure we don’t end up with another special election,” he said.
The special election was approved after a resident presented a petition to the Select Board requesting the empty seat vacated by Christine Swanson in December be filled. Once a petition is presented the town is obligated to hold the election, officials said.