BURRILLVILLE – Neither the Town Council president or the School Committee chairman will be seeking reelection in 2020, inevitably leaving Burrillville voters with at least a few new leaders this November.
The declaration period for candidates in town ended at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, and neither Council President John Pacheco or Committee Chairman Marc Brizard had submitted forms.
Pacheco has served on the council since 2012, and has been president of the board since 2014.
“My wife and I are empty nesters and have reached a point in our life together where we would like to live on or very close to the beach,” Pacheco told NRI NOW. “Our house is for sale and I thought it would be unfair to seek election when I will be moving, hopefully soon.”
His seat is one of three potentially up for grabs this November, and as the deadline passed Wednesday afternoon, six candidates had submitted declarations to the Burrillville Town Clerk.
They include incumbent two-term Republican Councilor Raymond Trinque and Democrat Councilor Jeremy Bailey, who is completing his first four-year term.
Also potentially vying for a seat on the seven-member board are two candidates who ran in 2018 but did not secure a seat; Matthew Zanni, a Democrat, and Justin Batalon, a Republican; and newcomers Mary Gauvin, a Democrat; and Michael Puyana, a Republican.
In Burrillville, each political party is allowed up to three Town Council candidates on the November ballot, so even if all six submit signed nomination papers by the Friday, July 10 deadline, Burrillville will not hold a council primary in September.
Seats held by Councilors Dennis Anderson, Amanda Gingell, Donald Fox and Stephen Rawson were secured in 2018, and are not up for reelection in 2020.
Brizard has served on the non-partisan school board since he was first elected in 2012.
Committee members Dorothy Cardon and Sean Bouzan, who’s terms are also coming to an end, submitted papers on Monday, June 22. Bouzan secured his seat in 2018, filling the remainder of resigning former Committee member John Michael Karmozyn’s two-year term.
Victor Bevilacqua, who ran but fell short in attempts to secure a seat on the Burrillville School Committee in both 2016 and 2018, appears on track to fill the open seat left by Brizard’s departure.
Vice Chairman Donison Allen, Clerk Sylvia St. Pierre, and members Terri Lacey and Alexandra LeClaire are just two years in to their four year terms, and not up for reelection in 2020.
Editor’s note: An original version of this story stated that the town was on track for a Town Council primary. We apologize for the error.
NRI NOW is offering all local candidates the opportunity to discuss their background and platform. Those interest should send biographic information to sandy@nrinow.news. To see information on those who have already announced their platforms, visit the “politics” tab above.
