February 22 Special Election

On February 22, Wakefield will hold a special election to replace Peter May, a valued Town Councilor who passed away last fall after serving on the Council for over five years and the community for far longer.

The person selected on February 22nd will serve for just over two months and participate in five planned Council meetings until the regular election is held on April 26th. Historically, meetings in February through April focus on setting the town budget for the fiscal year which begins in July.

The slate for the special election is now set with two candidates graciously agreeing to step up and serve. Given the issues likely to come before the Council during this abbreviated tenure, we are asking you to support Paul DiNocco.

Paul served on the Council for 12 years, and prior to that served on Planning Board for 9 years. Throughout these years, Paul shared his experience and knowledge to improve Wakefield. One example of this is the Event Planning Committee (EPC) which the Town formed, under Paul’s guidance, in 2010 to organize signature events like the Holiday Stroll and Italian Festival. In 2018, Paul led efforts to ensure the continuity of the EPC and its contributions by forming an independent nonprofit -- Events Planning Committee Inc, also known as Wakefield Community Partnership. His knowledge of town issues, and particularly the budget process, will allow Paul to contribute valuable input and insight immediately.

We appreciate Paul’s willingness to come back to the Council for this short period. He is not running in April, leaving the position open for a newcomer to serve a full term and learn all the ins and outs of serving as a Wakefield Town Councilor.

Julie Smith-Galvin

Ann Santos

Wakefield Town Councilors

This article was published in the February 1, 2022 edition of The Wakefield Daily Item.