The Harvard Select Board has elected new officers for the coming year and moved the spring session of Annual Town Meeting into May.
At their May 29 strategic planning session, held in recent years—weather permitting—on the porch of the Hildreth House, members elected Don Ludwig as chair, replacing outgoing chair Rich Maiore. SusanMary Redinger was elected vice chair, replacing Charles Oliver. Oliver was elected clerk.
The board reorganization occurs annually and took place at the end of last month’s planning meeting. Oliver had first been nominated for vice chair by Maiore. After Maiore’s motion, however, Oliver and Redinger exchanged a look, and Redinger asked, “Do you want to do this?” referring to the duties of the vice chair role.
Oliver explained that he and Redinger had discussed the board reorganization prior to the meeting, and Redinger had expressed a desire to be vice chair. Oliver then said that he would be OK with Redinger’s appointment to vice chair. Maiore withdrew his nomination for Oliver and Kara Minar then nominated Redinger, who was voted in unanimously.
Ludwig served as chair on the Finance Committee in Harvard before his election to the Select Board in 2022. Redinger served on the School Committee, which she chaired for several years, before being elected to the Select Board at Town Election this April.
After deliberation, the Select Board also set May 3 as the date for the 2025 Annual Town Meeting, with the town election taking place the following Tuesday, May 6. The 2024 fall Town Meeting will take place Sept. 28.
The Select Board considered an early April Town Meeting, like this past year, but ultimately chose a May date, motivated by the fact that there will be both a new town administrator and assistant town administrator who will be getting acclimated to the job. The Select Board wants as much time as possible for these two new hires to settle in before the meeting takes place.
The decision also reflects the preference of the School Committee and school administration for a later date. A May date gives them more time to prepare and publish their budgets, the most complex of the town’s departments.
