Shana Dixon defeated Jane Patton for a one-year seat on the Select Board in yesterday’s Town election, according to unofficial election results. Matt Neely and Peter Beck were both elected unopposed to three-year terms.
As of publication Dixon, the chair of the Town’s Diversity, Inclusion, Racial Equity (DIRE) Committee received 497 votes compared to 377 for Patton, who has served on the Select Board for the past 12 years.
Both candidates stood outside the polling place at Williamstown Elementary School on Tuesday evening, greeting voters 150 feet away from the entrance, the legally required distance.
“I’ve been doing this for 12 years, and my record speaks for itself,” Patton said in an interview Tuesday evening. She said she viewed her experience as a positive quality, especially since most of the other members of the new Select Board will be relatively new to their roles. “I had amazing mentors when I came on the board, and I’ve never forgotten how much they helped me. I’ve never forgotten how much I really didn’t know before I went when I was first elected, and I just want to give that back.”
During her bid, Dixon emphasized her role on DIRE and the need for increased community engagement in the Town. “I’m interested in this position because I want more of an input on the day to day ways that we run Williamstown,” she said. “I just want more of a say, and I want to get the community more involved.”
Town resident and Patton voter Karen Falk, who said she knows Patton personally, voted for her because of her experience and because she felt that Patton brings a unique perspective to the Select Board. “She has a voice that might be different from the others on the Select Board, and I think that’s important,” Falk said.
“She’s been here a while, and she knows what the town is all about,” Town resident Anne Pritchard, who voted for Patton, said.
“I like the idea of a new person on the Board,” Marcia Macinnis, a Town resident who voted for Dixon said. She said she felt that it was a “tossup” between supporting the two candidates and that they shared similar priorities in creating affordable housing and job opportunities. Macinnis’ husband, Ronald Macinnis, also voted for Dixon. “I thought she was a very bright lady,” he said. “We have considered the candidates quite a bit, and decided that Shana is a very competent person.”
Select Board member Matt Neely and Planning Board Chair Peter Beck received 683 and 616 votes, respectively, for their uncontested seats.
Benjamin Lee-Cohen, Robin Lenz, Micah Manary, Katherine Myers, and Bridget Spann were elected to positions on the Library Committee.
A total of 884 residents cast their ballot on Tuesday, out of 5095 registered voters in Town.
Beck, Dixon, and Neely will join Stephanie Boyd and Jeff Johnson to make up the five-person Select Board, which will convene for the first time on June 9.
Henry Hilton and Christopher Hughes contributed reporting.
