WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A newly elected member of the Select Board said that Tuesday gave her an opportunity to connect with her constituents, but she did not hear anything that surprised her in the concerns they expressed.

 

"I'm pretty active, as you know, already in small town politics in Williamstown on the Planning Board and the Comprehensive Plan [Steering Committee]," Stephanie Boyd said moments after the vote tallies were announced. "So a lot of what we were doing was just connecting with people.

 

"It was the first time many of us have had a chance to talk after the pandemic."

 

Boyd and incumbent Andrew Hogeland emerged victorious in a four-person race for two seats on the five-person board in voting at Williamstown Elementary School.

 

Hogeland was the top vote-getter, with 700 votes. Boyd received 523 votes. Andrea "Andi" Bryant received 382, and Paul Harsch garnered 131.

 

That was the order in which the four candidates ranked in all three of the town's precincts.

 

All of candidates in other races on the ballot ran unopposed.

 

Boyd said she stayed outside the school from just before the polls opened at 7 a.m. until she came inside at about 8 p.m. to await the returns.

 

She heard the same sorts of things she heard during the campaign and in the other conversations before she decided to make her first run for the board.

 

"The usual concerns about housing and how expensive it is to live here, I think that's a big concern on people's mind," Boyd said. "Some discussions on taxes, property taxes, and what can we do in that area."

 

In the campaign, Boyd said she was open to the idea of exploring the commonwealth's Residential Exemption program as a way to make the town's chief source of income less regressive. On Tuesday night, she said she wants to have a wider conversation about that possibility.

 

"The residential tax exemption is certainly something that I really would like us to investigate deeper," Boyd said. "I've had informal conversations with [Finance Committee] members. Even though it's a Select Board decision, I think if we do look at implementing something like that, we really want to have full support from other boards.

 

"We're limited by state law in what we can do with our taxes, but there's certainly opportunities to do things there. And I'm also excited to work with the Affordable Housing Trust and others on ways we can help have more deed-restricted housing and things like that."

 

One of her new colleagues, Hogeland, fills the Select Board's seat on the AHT board. 

 

On Tuesday, the voters returned him for a fourth straight three-year term.

 

"I think it's an open question whether it's a stupid idea to run for four terms, but I feel as though it's kind of in my blood," Hogeland said. "I like this kind of work, and it's worth taking the shot. I am really appreciative of the support, and I really enjoyed hanging out with my competitors today.

 

"That's the thing about small-town politics for me, is you get to see the differences and the changes of what's going on. So hanging out not only with the candidates but also their supporters for 13 hours was a great way to spend the day."

 

Bryant, who dropped out the campaign in April due to a death in the family only to reignite her campaign in the last week, joined Boyd and Hogeland outside the school during polling and in the gym to hear the results.

 

Bryant said she was heartened to see the support she received despite not running a full campaign, but said she felt she had let down her supporters.

 

"But I'm not done," Bryant said. "I can be my own person and just keep pushing, pushing forward. The people who struggle to be here, I can push for them with my own voice.

 

"Sometimes, that's a little easier. I don't have to worry about the [Open Meeting Law]. I don't have to worry about offending anybody. I can just be who I am and get the message out."

 

Part of that message is that Williamstown, perceived as a place of privilege, actually has more citizens in need than most people realize.

 

"Two hundred, fifty people ate out of the Food Pantry here in one week," Bryant said. "That's real, and that happens here. A lot of people don't understand the depth of it. We need to start looking at that, too. We really do.

 

"We want to talk about the real issues in town. That one hits hard."

 

Bryant said it was too soon to think about whether she will make another run for the Select Board in 2024.

 

If she happens to decide to wait until 2026, there will be at least one open seat on the ballot.

 

"I like this work, as you know, I'm happy to keep on doing it, but I'm not going to do it again," Hogeland said. "I will publicly say this is my last campaign. Campaigning and me don't mix.

 

"As much as I enjoyed the day at the last minute, it's an exercise that doesn't appeal to what I like to do with myself. I hate talking about myself like you have to do in a campaign. So it's all over after this three years."