Voters oust city clerk

WESTMORLAND – Changes are in store for some of Westmorland’s elected officials following Tuesday’s preliminary election results in four separate ballot initiatives.

Unofficial preliminary results suggest voters soundly approved two of those ballot initiatives, Measure D and Measure E, which respectively changed the positions of both the city clerk and treasurer from elected to appointive.

In the case of Measure D, 57.5 percent of votes cast were for its passage as of 9:59 p.m. Tuesday, while 42.4 percent of the total 66 votes cast opposed it. Measure E received 54.6 percent of the votes cast in its favor as of 9:59 p.m. Tuesday, while 45.3 percent opposed it.

Measure E’s apparent approval by voters means that incumbent Treasurer Muriel Graham will serve out the remainder of her term until 2020, at which point the City Council can appoint an individual from the community it feels is qualified to serve.

Voters also appeared to have roundly approved a third ballot initiative, Measure L, which had sought the recall of City Clerk Sally Traylor.

As of 9:59 p.m. Tuesday, 70.3 percent of the total 64 votes cast for the ballot measure approved of its passage, with 29.6 of the votes cast in opposition, according to the county Elections Department.

Lastly, voters also overwhelmingly approved Measure M, which sought the recall of former Councilwoman Mary Ann Monte Smith, who had recently resigned in September.

Votes cast in favor of the recall totaled 70.9 percent, while 29 percent of the total 62 votes cast were in opposition of the recall, according to unofficial preliminary results.

State election code mandated that the recall initiative targeting Smith remain on the ballot, which opened the door for write-in candidate Justina Cruz to secure the council seat vacated by Smith’s resignation. Of the 62 voters who had cast ballots for the recall initiative, 47 had listed Cruz as the write-in candidate of their choice. Cruz also happened to be the only eligible write-in candidate for the recall initiative, the county Elections Department reported. Cruz will serve out the remainder of Smith’s term, which ends in 2020.

In the case of incumbent City Clerk Traylor, her apparently successful recall and the apparent shift of the position to an appointive one will likely result in the council appointing a replacement shortly after the election results are finalized, Westmorland City Attorney Mitch Driskill had previously stated.