By Christopher Haraden

A week after one candidate withdrew from the race for the Hull Redevelopment Authority, an open-space activist this week launched a write-in campaign for the three-year seat on the board.

Susan Vermilya, a founder of Save Our Space Hull, will challenge incumbent Charles Richardson in the May 18 election.

The candidate for the five-year term – C. Anne Murray – is unopposed. Write-in candidacies also are possible for two positions on the board of assessors that attracted no candidates by the application deadline.

Before the election, however, voters will act on 44 articles on the annual town meeting warrant. In addition to the traditional housekeeping articles to keep the town government operating – and the $54.5 million FY27 town budget – the warrant includes 10 citizens’ petitions that seek to make changes in the management of the light plant, authorize the town to acquire land at the James Avenue beach, require town government meetings to be available in hybrid format, and authorize citizens who propose town meeting petitions to have access to legal advice through town counsel, among others.

For the full text of the annual town meeting warrant, click here.

On the May 18 annual town election ballot, contested races include five people seeking the two available three-year terms on the select board. Incumbent Jerry Taverna will be challenged by Michael A. Sampson, Susan Short Green, Patricia Lynn Cormier, and Christopher Niland.

One seat on the planning board will appear on the May ballot – the five-year position now held by Jeanne Paquin. She is being challenged by Lisa French.

Mark L. Kohn will face off against incumbent light board members Patrick Cannon and Jacob Vaillancourt for the two three-year seats available on the light board.

The school committee has two three-year terms available, with three candidates – current members Courtney Littlefield and Aleeza Hagerty and former member Ernest Minelli.

In addition to the HRA candidates, running unopposed are housing authority member Anne-Margaret MacEachern and assessor Pamela Sinton-Coffman, as well as Thu-Hang Tran and Amy Hyde, who are the only candidates for two three-year terms on the library board.

The last day to register to vote in the May 18 annual town election is Friday, May 8.

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