Weston Town Caucus Chooses Candidates for Ballot
Longtime resident William Sandalls to challenge incumbent Wendy Spector for Town Moderator seat following controversy.
The auditorium at Weston Town Hall was filled Monday night with Weston residents nominating fellow citizens for the May 5 town election ballot, to fill open positions on various boards and committees, including the Town Moderator seat following some controversy about Town Meeting procedure.
In a marked difference from last year’s caucus, which drew just over 25 participants, citizens packed the auditorium to nominate candidates for 16 open positions in town, including spots on the Board of Selectmen, the Weston School Committee and the Recreation Committee.
Nominations for two positions—Town Moderator and a Planning Board member—went to a vote following a nomination for each by resident Isabella Jancourtz, who told Patch she was “dissatisfied” with Town Meeting procedures, in particular time limits on citizens’ comments, which Town Moderator Wendy Spector has said she prefers kept succinct.
Jancourtz nominated longtime resident William Sandalls, telling the audience, “if Bill is elected it won’t be necessary to remind him to follow town bylaw. Everyone will get a chance to speak.”
Sandalls led the vote at the meeting’s end by a margin of 61-27 over Spector, with both candidates’ names to appear on the May ballot.
Jancourtz also nominated Mike Gordon, owner of the Kendal Green Service Center on North Avenue, for the Planning Board seat, telling the audience, “the current board (hasn’t) been very friendly to small businesses in town and I believe that would change if Mike were elected.”
Following the vote, Gordon’s vote total was one more than that of current Planning Board member and nominee Pamela Fox, with a final tally of 42-41.
Resident Hugh Jones, in nominating Board of Selectmen candidate Ed Coburn, said he was “absolutely delighted” to nominate Coburn and that it was “hard to imagine anyone, literally anyone else, serving in this capacity.”
In the other open-seat nominations, School Committee member Danielle Black nominated Rosemary Tomaso for the School Committee seat currently occupied by Thomas (Court) Chilton, and Allison Elvekrog was nominated for the Recreation Commission position held by longtime commission chair Gregory Czarnowski.
Any residents who wish to run for office who were not nominated by the caucus may take out nomination papers at the Town Clerk’s office, due back on Monday, March 19, at 5 p.m., with signatures from 50 or more registered voters in Weston.
Here are the full results:
| Position | Term Years | Incumbent | Caucus Nominee(s) |
| Moderator | 1 | Wendy Spector |
Wendy Spector William Sandalls |
| Selectman | 3 | Steven Charlip | Ed Coburn |
| Board of Assessors (2) | 3 |
Gary Koger Phyllis Kominz |
Gary Koger Phyllis Kominz |
| School Committee (2) | 3 |
Thomas H. Chilton Richard A. Manley Jr. |
Richard A. Manley Jr. Rosemary Tomaso |
| Recreation Commission (2) | 3 |
Gregory Czarnowski Richard Hall |
Richard Hall Allison Elvekrog |
| Planning Board | 5 |
Pamela Fox
|
Pamela Fox Mike Gordon |
| Library Trustee (2) | 3 |
Joel Angiolillo Denise Mosher |
Joel Angiolillo Denise Mosher |
| Board of Health | 3 | Peter K. Taylor | Peter K. Taylor |
| Commissioner of Trust Funds | 3 | Thomas E. Bator | Thomas E. Bator |
| Measurer of Lumber (3) | 1 |
Michael Glynn Emily Hutcheson Maryanne Rogers |
Robin Coutts Susan Kannenberg Richard Hall |