Milford Voters Reject Dispatch Center, Library Renovations

MILFORD, NH — More than 25 percent of the town's nearly 12,000 registered voters cast ballots Tuesday approving both municipal and school budgets but rejecting other proposals including a dispatch center and library renovations. The school's proposed $43.3 million operating budget was approved by nearly 200 votes while the town's nearly $15.3 million budget was approved by 1,300 votes. Five candidates sought two school board seats and voters elected two former educators to the board by overwhelming margins: Judi Zaino and Joseph Vitulli. Richard Wood came in third while Davis Wilson placed fourth and Michael McLean came in fifth.

In the school district clerk race, Joan Dargie easily bested Jennifer Siegrist, the former school board member who resigned due to a misconduct investigation last year, by more than 1,350 votes. Siegrist, however, was elected to a two-year library trustee position over Stacy Cusack, 1,639 to 617. Lynn Coakley also won a three-year library trustee over Serena Neveu by about 250 votes.

Five candidates sought two three-year board of selectmen seats with Laura Dudziak and David Freel winning seats over Vanessa Sheehan, Mike Thornton, and Jeffrey Johnson by hundreds of votes.

Most of the warrant articles proposed by the town were approved but three significant proposals were rejected by voters.

Article 3, a proposal to bond $2.7 million and spend $687,000 in donations to renovate the Wadleigh Library, failed to reach the 60 percent required for approval by 550 votes.

Article 4 and 5 concerned the town's emergency communications dispatch center. Article 4 proposed spending $2.4 million to build a new center and that question failed to reach 60 percent by nearly 200 votes. Article 5 proposed spending $3.5 million to upgrade the exiting center and that failed to reach 60 percent by nearly 1,300 votes.

Proposals to bring sidewalk improvements to Nashua Street and a number of other streets for bikes and walkers were also rejected by voters.

According to the town clerk, 3,039 voters cast ballots including 58 new voters.

View the full preliminary results here.

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube channel.