2014 Burrillville Town Council and School Committe Sworn In

November 25, 2014  New Burrillville Town Council and School Board Members Sworn In.

 

No. Smithfield State Rep. Brian Newberry made the trip to the meeting to swear in the new members.

 

The meeting had Council women Kimberly Brissette Brown (DEM) nominating mid term John F. Pacheco III (Rep)for the new chair and it passed 7-0. She then nominated veteran Stephen N. Rawson (Rep) for the new vice chairman and that also passed by a 7-0 tally .

The new 2014 Town Council will comprise the following members for the next two years.

President John F. Pacheco III  (Rep)

Vice President Stephen N. Rawson ( Rep)

David J. Place (Rep)

Donald A. Fox (Rep)

Nancy F. Binns (Dem)

Kimberly Brissette Brown (Dem)

Michelle D. Bouchard (Dem)

 

Since 1984 the Democrats have had a strangle hold on the Burrillville Town Council. Tonight that all changed. The new alignment will be in place for the next two years until the next election cycle in 2016. In 2016 if the republicans win just one of the three seats available they will keep control. The democrats would have to sweep the three positions to regain control.Our town charter has the odd, even cycle of three council spots open for four years, then four council seats for four years. This system seems to work good in our town with the continuity. New comer Donald A. Fox garnered the highest vote total with his name recognition of running two consecutive attempts to unseat Cale Keable (Dem)for the Dist. 47 seat. The coat tail effect of Allen Fung (Rep) who garnered the highest vote total in town at 1861 39.9 % to (Mod) candidate Robert Healy at 1371 and 29.4% Gina Raimondo (Dem) who won the Governors race statewide had 1334 for 28.6 %

In 2012 Pacheco won the only republican seat to join Rawson and Place for the third seat of the seven member panel. Till this day I think that his name Pacheco helped him in that election after another Edwin Pacheco had a popular career in Town and State politics and ending up the Democratic State Chairman. Also history will show that a advantage of the placement on the ballot at the top is a distinct advantage for a higher vote total. The coat tail effect came back into play when President Barrack Obama (DEM) winning again and Binns drawing a amazing 3014 votes to lead the star studded field. In 2010, the top vote getter was Wallace Lees,(Dem) at 2248 and new comer town fireman and Dem. Town Chairman Edward Blanchard at 2246 in the low turn out non presidential election. Rawson and Place rode the coat tail of Governor hopeful John Robitaille (Rep) 2286 votes who slaughtered Frank Capri (Dem) at 1170 votes and Chaffee the eventual State wide winner at 1503 votes. In 2008, a Presidential year election had the Obama ripple effect with Binns, Kevin Heitke, and Margaret Dudley, a former Dem. chair running as a (Ind) In 2006, all trends were off with Kevin Blais (Ind) who rode the emotions of the Town percolating because of the (Junkyard Ordinance)

 

After talking with Rawson, Town Manager Mike Woods and the Town Historian Pat Merthens it appears the last time the Republicans had control was in 1984 after the big turmoil of the Police Chief Archey Menard controversy. The Town is in a sound position with pensions and the Town Manager under his new contract with the previous Council. The great thing in the Town of Burrillville is the quality of the candidates on both sides and the independents who actually are forcing us into a September Primary each election which is great for the voters and Democracy in it's finest form the way our fore-fathers had planned it.

The school committee is composed of non-partisan candidates and new-comers Sylvia A. St.Pierre, Alexandra LeClair and Joshua Tessier who joined incumbent Raymond J. Trinque to fill the vacant seats for the next session.

If by chance in our Towns recent history,( Wally Lees, Kevin Blais, Bill Gonyea, Louie Bleweis,) are not able to complete their terms the next in line is Ed Blanchard, (Dem)Town Council and Donison Allen for the School Committee

Republican Control, First time since 1984

All photos by W.Gauvin Barber

School Committee, Three first time victors and a seasoned veteran

No. Smithfield State Rep. Dist. 48 Brian Newberry had swearing in Honors

John F. Pacheco III takes the gavel for the next two years.

Vice Chair Steve Rawson will mentor his Republican Chair.
Rawson had stated in his re-election bid that this would be his last one after over twenty years of community service.