Romano
When it comes to voting in town elections, most current Arlington candidates have consistent records of participation. The exception is Maria A. Romano, seeking a three-year seat on the Board of Selectmen.
In 13 town elections since 1998, she has voted in two, in 1998 and 2010, when she made her first run for the board.
During that period, the Bates Road resident with 31 years of business experience voted when there were overrides, 2003 and 2005, but not in town elections in those years. In the current campaign, she opposes an override.
Asked to comment, Romano wrote: "Although my past voting record has been inconsistent, the countless hours I have spent talking to the citizens of Arlington, over the past two years, listening and responding to their concerns and formulating a sound approach to the Town's financial challenges more than qualifies me to run for andserve on the Board of Selectmen."
In contrast, from 1998 through 2010, the following voted in all 13 town elections plus separate override votes in 2003 and 2005:
Selectmen candidates incumbent Diane M. Mahon, incumbent Annie LaCourt and Joseph E. Curran; town clerk candidates Stephanie L. Lucarelli and John W. Hurd; Stephen J. Gilligan, unopposed for treasurer, and Mary Winstanley O'Connor, unopposed for assessor.
Here are the voting records of the other candidates for key town offices from 1998 through 2010. All of this information was compiled following a March 20 public-records request to the town registrars, who maintain voting data:
Selectmen candidate Daniel J. Dunn voted in nine town elections plus the 2003 and 2005 overrides. He registered in 1999, and his first town election vote was recorded in 2002.
Records for the School Committee candidates show:
-- Joseph A. Curro Jr., 11 town elections, overrides in 2003 and 2005; his first town election vote was in 1999, and he has voted in all town elections since 2002.
-- Leba Heigham, 12 town elections plus the 2003 and 2005 overrides; her first town election vote was in 1998, and she did not vote in the 2000 town election.
-- William Hayner, 12 town elections plus the 2003 and 2005 overrides; he did not vote in the 1999 town election.
-- James L. Dolan registered to vote in town on Aug. 20, 2008. His only Arlington town election vote was in 2010. From 2001 to 2008, he voted in Needham. There, he voted in 2004 and 2006 town elections. In the latter election, two overrides were on the ballot -- $1,476,017 for the School Department, which failed, and a general override for $597,370, which passed. Dolan is on the record as opposing an override here.
Nicholas C. Mitropoulos, unopposed for Housing Authority, voted in 11 town elections since 1998 plus one override, in 2005. He did not vote on the 2003 override or in the town elections of 1998 and 2000.
Records for the period also show that most Arlington candidates were registered only Democrat in state general elections. Not all, though.
Dolan, who until recently was chair of the town GOP, voted exclusively as a registered Republican.
Lucarelli has voted as a registered Republican in some state elections, Democrat in others.
Curro has voted as a registered Democrat except for the presidential primary in 2000, when he voted Republican. Mitropoulos followed the same pattern as Curro.
Dunn voted as a registered Libertarian in 2000, 2002 and 2004, but since 2007 has voted as a registered Democrat.
NOTE: Candidates may or may not have voted on overrides or debt exclusions in elections where ballot measures occurred on the date of a town election.
Debt exclusions were on the ballot during these elections:
-- 1997 (rebuild all seven schools; first lost by 16 votes, then by 32 in a recount)
-- 1998 (rebuild four schools; passed)
-- 2000 (rebuild the other three; passed)
-- 2001 (purchase of former Symmes property; passed)
