UPTON — Voters elected a new selectman, treasurer and tax collector at the annual town meeting Sept. 17, but a special town meeting will be needed to elect a town clerk because no one stepped forward to run.
Mike Parshall was elected to the Select Board to replace Dean Davis, who declined to run again. John Wentworth will replace outgoing treasurer/bookkeeper Marybeth Leo, while Andy Buckley will take over from outgoing Tax Collector Nancy Beauvais. They were all unopposed.
Town Clerk Janet Blair also declined to run again, but even after several appeals from meeting moderator Vern Maxfield and Blair’s promise she would stay on long enough to train someone new, no one came forward.

Maxfield, the former town manager of Woodstock, said Upton will need to schedule a special town meeting soon to replace Blair.
The Select Board will set a new town meeting date at its regular board meeting in October, and Blair will continue to serve until a new clerk is in place.
Voters also declined to repeal a town ordinance that prohibits marijuana businesses from operating in town, by a vote of 18-12. Had they repealed it, another town vote would still have been required to allow the establishment of such businesses in town, under the state’s “opt-in” requirement.
There was little discussion before the vote, other than clarifying procedural issues.
The school budget was approved at $251,693, down about $7,500 from last year. Upton has seven tuition students.
Town budget and routine annual permission articles were all approved, most with little discussion.
The meeting lasted about 90 minutes.
Alison Aloisio is a freelance writer.
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