TM voters narrowly back election move, pickleball courts

Update: A reconsideration vote on the funding for the pickleball courts at Pequitside Farm will take place on Monday, May 19.

By a margin of 150-118 in a hand-counted vote, Canton residents gave the go-ahead to the Select Board at Monday’s Annual Town Meeting to file a home rule petition in the state legislature allowing the town to move local elections to November.

In an even closer vote (120-109), residents also voted to authorize the transfer of $650,000 from the free cash reserve account to build six pickleball courts at Pequitside Farm.

These were the main highlights of Monday’s opening session of town meeting, which adjourned around 11 p.m. with three articles remaining, including the town operating budget for FY26 as well as the omnibus capital outlay article. These were due to be taken up at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14.

Town Moderator Sal Salvatori, a past member and chair of the Select Board, was elected to lead town meeting after former Town Moderator Alan Hines announced he would not seek the position. Salvatori, unsure of the majority on the local election and pickleball votes, decided to hold card counts, which each lasted around 30 minutes.

After Monday’s meeting, Select Board Chair Mike Loughran said the board would discuss next steps for sending the proposal to the state legislature. The board is expected to name a new chair at its next meeting on Tuesday, May 27.

Proponents of the measure have already had preliminary discussions with state Senator Paul Feeney about the process of moving the bill through the legislature. It would mark Canton’s second attempt at moving elections following a previous effort in 2014 that failed to garner enough legislative support.

The proposal was widely supported in a non-binding ballot question at last month’s town election. Proposed by a group called Canton Residents to Move the Vote, the petition would move Canton’s local elections from April to November so they coincide with state and federal elections. The scheduling change is designed to increase voter turnout and engage more residents in the process.

Former Select Board member Mark Porter, however, said it is up to the candidate to engage residents enough so that they show up at the polls.

Town Clerk Tracy Kenney also cited several concerns about the proposal, noting that Canton would have to hold dual elections in even-numbered years, which adds extra costs and would further burden the town’s poll workers. Supporters pledged to work with the town clerk’s office to alleviate some of the challenges and have requested that the change take effect in a non-presidential election year to ensure a smoother transition.

Assistant Town Clerk Gail McHugo said she was not sure all eligible voters would be interested in local elections during a presidential election season. “In November during a presidential election, people want to vote for president and that’s it,” she said. “The local election ballot may be left blank. This could be a disaster.”

Lisa Lopez, who initially spoke for the petition, urged the Select Board to “do the right thing and hear the will of the voters.”

As for the pickleball proposal, while the article had its enthusiastic supporters, it too had its share of opponents, including abutters to Pequitside Farm and many residents of Sumner Street who claim they were not properly notified of the proposed article. They also cited noise factors and the potential that the courts would upset the tranquil nature of the open space at Pequitside. Others felt the $650,000 would be better spent in other ways, such as roadway improvements or hiring more police officers.

Loughran, a key supporter of the project, said the proposed location of the new courts — next to the playground and community gardens — was chosen because it would be the least disruptive to abutters. The design calls for a six-foot fence surrounding the courts and a four-foot fence between them. The courts would not be lit at night and Loughran later said he would request funding from the Select Board mitigation accounts to pay for a noise buffer.

The site requires a retaining wall and a significant amount of fill, and Loughran said he will continue to reach out to the developer of the Revere Heritage Site for help in obtaining the fill, which would lower the cost …

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Posted by Mike Berger on May 16 2025. Filed under Top Stories. Both comments and pings are currently closed.