BY ROD HANSEN
Recounts
of two town ballot items in Goffstown and a school budget vote in Weare
produced different numbers, but identical results.
Goffstown’s Article 13, which would have paid for a water
distribution system in Lynchville/Danis Park through a $1.6 million
bond and additional grant money, remained defeated 1,491 to 1,037 after
the recount.
Because it was a bonded article, the item required a 60 percent majority, or 1,517 votes, to pass.
Resident John Paradis delivered a petitioned request for recount
on Monday, March 19. Paradis, a longtime resident of the area affected
by the article, acknowledged that he submitted the petition because he
was unhappy with the vote and hoped a recount could produce different
results.
Ultimately, the recount produced one more positive vote and one
more negative vote than the original tally, Town Clerk Donna Bergeron
said.
The article’s margin of defeat remained 26 votes following the recount.
A second article, which would have given the town authority to
establish a tax increment financing district, was also subject to a
petitioned recount request. The item, appearing as Article 22 on the
ballot, passed by a total of three votes in the March 13 election.
The recount produced a tally of 1,169 to 1,166, exactly three
more negative and three more positive votes than the original count.
The additional votes likely came from cases in which voters
placed an “X” inside the oval on the ballot rather than filling it in,
Bergeron said.
The recount took place on Sunday, March 25, in the Mildred Stark
Room of town hall. Votes were recounted by Bergeron, Town Moderator Rod
Stark and members of the board of selectmen, with about a dozen
community volunteers helping to sort the ballots.
Weare
A recount of Weare’s razor-thin school district operating budget defeat also produced no change in outcome.
The original machine count handed the $11.9 million operating
budget a defeat of 646-643, while the recount put the number at 648-645
with the addition of two negative and two positive votes. The recount
took place at the Weare town offices Friday, March 23, beginning at 6
p.m.
The recount took one hour and 20 minutes, according to School District Clerk Tina Pelletier.