Aquinnah voters flocked to the polls for their annual town election Thursday, approving the housing bank question by a large margin and re-electing Gerald Green to the board of health for another three years.
Turnout was large in the smallest town on the Island, with 169 voters casting ballots, or 42 per cent of the 404 registered.
“It was a very kind of steady flow,” town clerk Gabriella Camilleri told the Gazette after the polls closed. “I’m not sure exactly which issues were the ones [that brought out voters] but we’re always happy to see a good turnout.”
The two-way race for board of health was the lone contest on the ballot. Incumbent Gerald Green prevailed over James Glavin 91-64.
But there was also a surprise write-in upset, with Sophia Welch unseating incumbent library trustee Nancy Gilson Slate 105-42.
The housing bank question won easily, 138-24.
A Proposition 2 1/2 override question on a $200,000 expenditure for preliminary design work on the town hall and comfort station also won approval 108-53.
Select board incumbent Gary Haley was unopposed on the ballot and fought off a write-in challenge from Adrian Higgins, 125-16.
Elected without contest were:
Planning board, three years, Isaac Taylor, 116, James Mahoney, 75, Heidi Vanderhoop 101; planning board, one year, James Newman, 133; planning board associate, Amera Ignacio, 137; moderator, three years, Michael Hebert, 143.
A nonbinding question to prohibit the discharge of radioactive waste into Cape Cod Bay by Holtec Pilgrim was approved, 159-1.
A Proposition 2 1/2 override question on a $26,000 appropriation for parking kiosks at the town lot near Moshup Beach was defeated, as it had been on the town meeting floor Tuesday.
Mr. Haley, who was at the polls when the results were announced, said he looked forward to serving again.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said, speaking about the town hall and comfort station renovations.
