BRANDON — After a sudden reorganization less than two months before Town Meeting Day, the Brandon selectboard has a new chairman, a new member, and at least one race for a seat come the first Tuesday in March.
Monday, Jan. 26, was a busy day for selectboard business, as 5 p.m. was the deadline for petitions to run for town office, followed by a regular selectboard meeting that evening.
Selectman Dave Atherton was appointed board chair at that meeting, with Selectman Ethan Swift appointed vice chair. This came two weeks after then-board chair Maria Ammatuna suddenly tendered her resignation due to illness.
On her recommendation, the selectboard appointed Seth Hopkins to Ammatuna’s vacant seat until the March 2 town meeting. Hopkins recently served on the Citizens Budget Committee. He ran for the selectboard last year, but lost to Blaine Cliver. He then submitted a letter of interest when Cliver resigned in October, but the board appointed Doug Bailey.
Hopkins has since filed a petition with the town to run for the remaining two years of Ammatuna’s seat on Town Meeting Day.
But he will be challenged by former Selectman Richard Baker, who also filed a petition to run for the seat.
Swift will run for re-election to his one-year seat on the selectboard, and Selectman Bailey will run for election to his one-year seat, since he was appointed last fall. But Dennis Reisenweaver has also filed to run for a one-year seat, so there will be a three-way race for two one-year seats.
Atherton will run for re-election to a three-year term unopposed.
Town and School Moderator Art Doty will run for re-election to the one-year term and will be challenged by Brandon real estate agent Skip Davis.
Brandon Planning Commission member and attorney Jeff Guevin has filed petitions to run for town agent and grand juror.