Politics & Government

City Election Scorecard: Dolan Running Unopposed Again

The deadline to pull papers to run for mayor passed on Friday, July 29 with only incumbent Mayor Rob Dolan taking out papers for the office.

Melrose's biennial city election is coming up in November, but one race is already over.

Mayor Rob Dolan faces no challengers for his seat in the election scheduled for Nov. 8, after the deadline to take out nomination papers to run for mayor passed on Friday, July 29, with only Dolan pulling papers for the office.

It's the third straight election that Dolan has run unopposed. He also ran unopposed in 2005 and in 2007; since Melrose voters approved a new city charter in Nov. 2005, the Melrose mayor's office now carries a four-year term.

Find out what's happening in Melrosewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Dolan will receive a 3.5 percent raise in 2012 and a 1 percent raise in 2013, bringing his total salary to $99,986, after a rigorous debate between the Aldermen in December over a proposal put forth to .

Because the city charter requires the aldermen to set the mayor's salary in the first 18 months of the term for which aldermen are elected, and that the salary becomes effective in January of the year following the next biennial city election, the mayor's salary cannot be altered again until 2016.

Find out what's happening in Melrosewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As for the other offices, Melrosians still have until Friday, Sept. 16 to pull papers for one of the seats on the Melrose Board of Aldermen or one of the three Melrose School Committee seats up for grabs in this fall's election.

On the School Committee, Chairwoman Margaret Driscoll, Don Constantine and Kristin Thorp are up for re-election this year. So far, only Driscoll and Constantine have pulled papers.

School Committee members Christine Casatelli, Carrie Kourkoumelis and J.D. LaRock are each halfway through their four-year terms—the city charter staggers the terms so three seats are up for grabs in each biennial city election—and Dolan sits on the School Committee by virtue of his office.

On the Board on Aldermen, all 11 incumbents have pulled papers, and only one faces a challenger—Ward 7 Alderman William Forbes, who would face a challenge from Francis Murphy. Each aldermen's seat carries a two-year term.

Ward aldermen candidates need a minimum of 20 certified signatures on nomination papers to become official candidates; alderman at-large and School Committee candidates require 130 certified signatures.

As of last week, three candidates have returned their papers to the Elections Office with enough signatures: Dolan, Forbes and Ward 4 Alderman Bob Boisselle.

Below is the most up-to-date information on who's running and who's not in Melrose's 2011 election. All names in each ward are listed alphabetically, and incumbents are marked with an asterisk. Please contact Melrose Election Administrator Linda-Lee Angiolillo at 781-979-4125 with any questions.

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Mayor

Name Status Robert J. Dolan*                                              Returned nomination papers with signatures, certified

Board of Aldermen

Ward Name Status At-Large Jaclyn Lavender Bird* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Donald L. Conn, Jr.* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Marybeth McAteer-Margolis* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Ronald Seaboyer* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Ward 1 John Tramontozzi* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Ward 2 Monica Medeiros* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Ward 3 Francis X. Wright, Jr.* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Ward 4 Robert A. Boisselle* Returned nomination papers with signatures, certified Ward 5 Gail M. Infurna* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Ward 6 Peter Mortimer* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Ward 7 William H. Forbes* Returned nomination papers with signatures, certified Francis Murphy Pulled nomination papers for signatures

School Committee

Name Status Margaret Driscoll*                        Pulled nomination papers for signatures Donald Constantine* Pulled nomination papers for signatures Kristin Thorp* Has not pulled nomination papers


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