Hogeland, Boyd win Williamstown Select Board election

Julia Goldberg and Lena Kerest

Voters participate in election at Williamstown Elementary School. (Lena Kerest/The Williams Record)

Andrew Hogeland ’76 and Stephanie Boyd defeated Andi Bryant and Paul Harsch ’69 for two seats on the Select Board in yesterday’s Town election.

Hogeland, the only incumbent in the race, amassed 700 votes, and Boyd garnered 523. The pair will join Randal Fippinger, Jeff Johnson, and Jane Patton on the Select Board when their terms begin later this month. Bryant and Harsch received 382 and 131 votes, respectively.

The Town’s other candidates ran unopposed for two seats on the Planning Board and for two seats on the Milne Public Library Board of Trustees.

There are 5,068 registered voters in Williamstown. Just under 1,000 cast their ballots either in-person or by mail, a count about average for annual elections, according to Town Clerk Nicole Beverly.

“I really believe in local government as a way of solving our problems, and it’s really rewarding to have the community want me to continue doing [this],” Hogeland said in an interview with the Record just after votes were tallied. While campaigning, Hogeland named affordable housing and the Town’s economic development as two of his priorities.

Boyd likewise emphasized her commitment to affordable housing. A member of the Town’s CO2 Lowering Committee, she also told the Record that she looks forward to bringing sustainability initiatives into the Select Board’s office.

Town resident Megan Morey, who serves as the Vice President for College Relations, voted for both Hogeland and Boyd. “They’re the most informed and knowledgeable about the Town government structure and the issues at hand,” she said. “They’ve put in a lot of time and effort on a variety of committees over the years that position them well to take on these jobs.”

Andi Bryant, who described herself as a fourth-generation and low-income Williamstown resident, initially halted her official campaign due to a death in her family but rejoined the race early last week.

“Coming back in, this is unfinished business,” she said in an interview with the Record. “That was really important — to just finish what I started.”

Bryant said that the Town needs to consider issues beyond affordable housing. “We don’t have a lot of jobs,” she said. “We need to start looking at how we can keep people here too … and offer a means to live, to make an income.”

Beyond the Select Board, Cory Campbell — an academic technology consultant at the College — will serve on the Planning Board for five years, and Benjamin Greenfield will serve on it for one. Their votes totalled 700 and 721, respectively.

Campbell told the Record that while on the board, he hopes to prioritize affordable housing while also focusing on protecting local agriculture and ecosystems.

Alexander Carlisle, who received 692 votes, and Katy Evans, who received 703, will both serve on the library’s Board of Trustees for three years.

Elections ran from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Williamstown Elementary School.