EASTHAM — According to preliminary results released on the evening of May 16, town voters have elected Monica Montoya-Quintero and Debra Raymond to fill the two open seats on the Eastham Elementary School Committee.
Montoya-Quintero, 44, works part-time as an early learning specialist for the Cape Cod Children’s Place and has two children enrolled at the elementary school. She and her family have lived in Eastham since 2013.
Raymond, 57, moved to Eastham in 1994 and has worked as an elementary school teacher and reading specialist at Truro Central School since then. She previously ran for the Eastham school committee in 2022.
The three-way race came down to a photo finish. Raymond won the most votes with 620, while Montoya-Quintero received 549. Devon O’Rourke, the third challenger, received 518 votes. There were two write-ins and 429 blank votes.
Down the ballot, voters also approved the three Proposition 2½ questions tied to articles that passed at town meeting.
Question 1 was for $5.95 million in borrowing for wastewater engineering and design, which town staff has projected will not increase resident taxes because the bond payments will be covered by short-term rental tax revenue. It passed with 785 votes in favor and 256 against.
Select board Vice-Chair Art Autorino had told voters at annual town meeting on May 6 that “if we wait to be forced to do this it will only get more expensive, and state money is available now” for wastewater projects.
Question 2 authorized $1.8 million to dredge Rock Harbor, which is done in concert with the town of Orleans every 8 to 10 years. The measure passed 755 to 290; the dredging is projected to take place in the fall of 2024.
Question 3 was a permanent budget override that allowed the town to assess a combined $710,000 to fund the town’s collective bargaining agreements and wage adjustments for non-union workers, as well as the educational budget for FY24. It passed 698-343.
Moderator Scott Kerry was reelected, as were select board members Arthur Autorino and Aimee Eckman and library trustees Ignatius Alfano and Mary Shaw. No one ran for the open seat on the housing authority; William O’Shea was elected with 11 write-in votes.
Tuesday marked the final election for longtime town clerk Cindy Nicholson, who did not seek reelection after serving since 2015. Current assistant town clerk Linda Sassi was elected to take her place.
