NEW SALEM — Richard Taupier is the town’s newest Selectboard member, garnering 87 votes in an unopposed race for the two-year seat being vacated by Carl Seppala.

Additionally, incumbent Zara Dowling, who has spent six months on the Selectboard after Randy Gordon stepped down, ran uncontested for and secured a three-year term that expires in May 2026. She accumulated 86 votes.

Taupier has lived in New Salem with his wife, Beth Haggerty, for the past 37 years and their two sons graduated from Swift River School. He said he previously served on the School Committee for 12 years, including eight as chair. Most of his career was spent with the University of Massachusetts Amherst in administrative and faculty roles. He was also an assistant secretary for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs for 10 years.

Dowling has lived in town for 11 years and has served on the Conservation Commission and Energy Committee. She works for the UMass Clean Energy Extension.

All races in Monday’s election were uncontested.

The following candidates were also elected:

■Board of Health, three-year term — Patrick Temple.

■Assessor, three-year term — William Lafley.

■Planning Board, five-year term — Steven Blinder.

■School Committee, three-year term — Nancy Slator. There was a failure to elect a second available position.

■Library trustee, three-year term — Mailand DeWitt.

■Municipal Light Board, three-year term — Cameron Dunbar.

There was also a failure to elect a library trustee to a two-year term.

According to Town Clerk Stacy Senflug, Monday’s election had a 10% voter turnout, with 93 of 869 registered voters casting ballots.

]]>