[R]utland Mayor David Allaire was re-elected for a two-year seat in Rutland on Tuesday, easily defeating challenger Michel Messier 1,707 to 657.
Voters also approved both the city and school budgets as well as two bond payments, totaling about $10 million to fix city roads and sewage issues.
Allaire, 63, who grew up in Rutland, served on the Board of Alderman for 19 years before he was elected mayor. He worked in advertising sales for 25 years before that.
“I feel good about the results. I’m very grateful,” he said. “It’s hard to get all the work you want to do done in two years.”
Allaire said he wants to address city infrastructure in his next term.
Messier, 55, who owns a consulting business in Rutland, lost his bid for city treasurer to incumbent Mary Markowski 1,963 to 429.
Messier said he wasn’t disappointed with the results. Running the campaign, he said, was a learning experience he plans apply to a U.S. Senate bid.
“I have bigger aspirations,” said Messier.
About 23 percent of the 10,680 registered city voters turned out Tuesday.
Voters elected one new person to the Board of Alderman. Matthew Reveal defeated Dan White for a one-year seat 1,510 to 597.
Reveal, the owner of Muckenschnabel’s bar in Rutland, will serve the remainder of the term vacated by William Notte, who was elected state representative last November.
Board of Alderman incumbents Lisa Ryan, Thomas Depoy, Chris Ettori, William Gillam, Melinda Humphrey and Rebecca Mattis defeated Matthew Merritt, Bob Schlachter and Beth Fleck for two-year seats.
A $7.4 million bond payment for sewer improvements was approved 1, 910 to 548, according to unofficial results. The bond will repair and replace aging infrastructure at the wastewater treatment plant and collection system.
Another $3 million bond for road improvements, approved 1,848 to 614, will repair a bridge on Grove Street and replace five culverts on Park Street, Grove Street, Lincoln Avenue, Allen Street and Church Street.
Any anticipated tax increases and water bill increases will be offset by the retirement of a prior water bond and police station bond.
The $21.4 million municipal budget passed 1,575 to 1,061. The municipal budget is level-funded from the previous year. No increase to the current $1.13 tax rate is expected.
The $54.4 million school budget, which is up 4.1 percent from the previous year, also passed 1,438 to 1,061. Despite the school budget increase, the school tax rate is expected to drop about 3 cents next year to $1.43 per $100 of assessed property value.
The school board eliminated six teaching positions to find savings, including two positions from the elementary school, one position from the intermediate school, one from the middle school and two from the high school.
Rutland City Schools CFO Peter Amons said the adjustments were made due to declining enrollment.
In another contested race, Barry Keefe, 69, who has been city assessor for 25 years, was easily re-elected over challenger Kam Johnston 1,834 to 489.
Johnston, who has sued the town several times over tax bills, has run for several positions in the past, including city assessor and mayor.
“I’ve never had any real, serious challenges over the years,” Keefe said. “I know the work, I like dealing with the people and I like serving the community in which I live.”
