DEERFIELD — Voters opted for new faces in city government on Monday, electing a new board member, school committee member and assessor.
Tim Hilchey, the current chair of the Conservation Commission and Community Preservation Committee, was elected to a three-year seat on the Board of Directors. Annie Curtis was elected to one of the three-year terms of the Deerfield School Committee and Frank Leone was elected to the Board of Assessors. Incumbent Carey Etchells was also re-elected to her position on the school committee.
Voter turnout was around 25% with 956 of the city’s 3,906 voters participating.
Voters also approved Question 1, 551-281, involving a debt exclusion for the $3 million loan to upgrade the South Deerfield sewage treatment plant at 150 Sunderland Road. At the April 25 annual town meeting, residents approved the borrowing of the money, which will be used to ensure the plant complies with permits.
Hilchey’s 540 votes edged outgoing board chairman David Wolfram’s 407, as Hilchey was chosen for his first term on the board after serving several years on the conservation commission and community preservation committee. He said he would give up those seats now that he is on the select committee.
“I was pretty happy with the way we campaigned and felt good about the outcome,” Hilchey said. “I had a good chat with Dave Wolfram after the vote was announced and told him I looked forward to continuing to work with him in the future as he has a lot to offer the city.”
Hilchey said his priorities will be to learn the ropes of the Select Board in an effort to prepare the city to raise as many grants as possible to fund projects in the city.
“The first thing is I have a lot to learn,” Hilchey said. “I welcome the opportunity to serve the city and sue our local lawmakers to see how we can be better prepared to obtain federal and state funds.”
He thanked the people of Deerfield for electing him and pledged to work for everyone in town.
“I’m very happy that so many people trust me,” Hilchey said. “I’m one person and I’m going to try to work for the whole city whether you voted for me or not.”
In a three-way race for two seats, Curtis and Etchells were both elected to the Deerfield School Committee with 542 and 521 votes, respectively. David Sharp, who spent more than 10 years on the school committee, got 450 votes.
Curtis, who was elected to her first term on the school committee, said she was “really thrilled” to hear she had won after doing a lot of campaign work.
“I think that hard work paid off with the results,” she said.
Curtis said she looks forward to joining the committee as she hopes to “continue the initiatives they have already started,” particularly to meet the “evolving needs” of students after several years of learning affected by the pandemic.
“There’s going to be a steep learning curve,” she said. “I look forward to stepping in where they need me.”
She thanked Sharp for her years of service on the school committee and thanked the voters of Deerfield for electing her.
“Just like how I campaigned very hard, I plan to do the same in the school committee role,” Curtis said. “I’m humbled and I’m so grateful they chose me.”
Etchells said she was happy to be re-elected to her seat on the committee because it shows people support what the committee has done.
“It’s good to know people are happy with what you’ve done,” Etchells said. “I want to thank everyone for their support.”
She added that she “can’t wait to get the kids back to where they were” before the pandemic, as the kids have been under a lot of academic, mental and emotional stress over the past few years.
“I’ve seen it with my own kids, I’ve seen it with other students,” Etchells said. “It’s difficult for children and teachers.”
Newcomer Frank Leone was elected to the Board of Assessors for his first-ever role in city government with 528 votes compared to Henry “Kip” Komosa’s 406 votes. Leone replaces John Coderre on the Board of Directors.
Leone thanked Deerfield voters for electing him to the post in a post on his campaign Facebook page.
“I am grateful for all the support and positivity graciously offered by so many people,” Leone wrote. “I look forward to serving Deerfield in my capacity as Assessor, and I appreciate everyone who voted.”
The other election results are as follows:
■Constable, three-year term — incumbent Sharyn Paciorek, 773 votes.
■ Elector Under Oliver Smith Will, one-year term — incumbent Leslie “Lili” Dwight, 730 votes.
■Frontier Regional School District School Board, three-year term — Damian Fosnot, incumbent, 704 votes.
■Planning Board, two positions with three-year terms — incumbents AnnMary Cloutier and Kathleen Watroba, 691 and 699 votes, respectively.
■ Trustees of the Tilton Library, three-year term — Kathleen O’Rourke, incumbent, 774 votes.