The Clerk's Corner - Vote on April 2nd
Hello All ~ Happy March! The Rehoboth Town Clerk’s Office has been busy processing over 4,500 - 2024 census data forms, 851 dog-tags/licenses, certifying election nomination papers for Town and State elected officials, and submitting FY 2025 budgets, while also preparing for the upcoming March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary (processing 1,800 vote by mail ballot applications and processing 70 In-Person Early Voting applications as of this writing) while also preparing for the upcoming April 2, 2024 Annual Town Election including sending off the ballot to be printed. It sure made for a few very long weeks but we are happy to do what is necessary for our residents and voters.
PLEASE DO NO FORGET TO VOTE.
Happy 1st Anniversary Kerrie Perkins and Jennifer Hose - Rehoboth Town Clerk’s Office
Speaking of the Town Clerk’s Office, please join me in congratulating Kerrie Perkins, Assistant Town Clerk and Jennifer Hose, Administrative Aide, who began working for the Town on February 13, 2023. Both Kerrie and Jenn bring a wealth of experience to the Town Clerk’s Office and have been absolutely wonderful in assisting the residents and voters of Rehoboth. Personally speaking, Jenn and Kerrie have been awesome to work with. We have a great team in the Clerk’s Office and I am thankful they both decided to work for the Town of Rehoboth. Congratulations ladies on your first anniversary ~ we look forward to many more!
2024 Census Mailer
To those of you submitting your census documents and for registering your dog(s) so promptly ~ thank you. We mailed 5,858 census forms in January and received and processed 4,567 households to date; up from 3,771 (796 more) from last year. We are still looking for 1,291 census forms to be returned (Precinct 1=298; Precinct 2=341; Precinct 3=311 and Precinct 4=341). If you did not send in your 2024 census, please forward it as soon as possible. A second mailing will be going out this month to those residents for who we do not have phone numbers listed on their census reports and our Registrars, Helene and Jenn, will be calling the remaining residents that have listed phone numbers this month. Census forms were due January 31st and Dog Licenses will be due by April 1st. Also, anyone wishing a second 2024 calendar, please let us know, we do have a few extras and can mail to you if you would like.
Upcoming Seekonk-Rehoboth Rabies Clinic – Saturday, March 16, 2024
Seekonk has graciously offered to hold another Joint Town Rabies Clinic at their Public Safety Building (Fire Division), which is located off of Route 44 by the blinking yellow light: 500 Taunton Avenue, Seekonk, MA. The clinic will open at 9:00AM and close at 12:00-Noon on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Rabies clinic is open to non-residents and Rehoboth or Seekonk animal owners. Rabies Fee is $15 per animal – Cash only accepted for vaccinations. Cats and ferrets must be in a secured carrier, dogs on leashes. For MA and RI animal owners, in order to be issued a MA three-year Rabies certificate you must bring either a certificate for a Rabies vaccination dated between 3/16/23 and 6/16/23, or a previous MA or RI three-year Rabies certificate from your veterinarian. You can also bring last year’s Rabies certificate as documentation. A one-year vaccination certificate will be issued if you do not have your current rabies certificate. The clinic is open to dogs, cats, and ferrets. Dr. Truesdale from Central Ave Veterinary Hospital will be administering the vaccinations. Proceeds will benefit the Seekonk Animal Control Department. The Rehoboth Town Clerk’s Office will be there to renew your dog’s 2024 Dog License. We accept, Cash, Check or Credit Card/EFT payments. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Rehoboth Town Clerk’s Office at 508-252-6502 X-3109, 3112, or 3110. We look forward to seeing you, your dogs, and cats. Thank you for keeping our pets safe by having them inoculated.
DOG LICENSES FOR 2024
2024 Dog Licenses are now available and may be obtained in-person, by mail, online at https://permiteyes.us/rehoboth/publichome.php for renewal licenses OR for a new dog, which we do not have on file, please contact our office. You may also drop off your dog licensing documents at the Town Hall drop box (340 Anawan Street). An application for dog license renewal was included in your 2024 Census mailer and directions for using the new Online Dog License program was also included in the census mailer. If you need help with the online dog licensing, please view the directions online @ https://www.rehobothma.gov/town-clerk/pages/dog-licenses or contact our office – 508-252-6502 X-3109 or X-3112. The licensing fees are as follows: Male or female dog $20.00, female-spayed or male-neutered $10.00. If paying by check, please make sure it is made payable to “Town of Rehoboth”. Dog licenses are due annually by April 1st. Whether renewing online, via mail, drop box, or in person, dog license applications must be accompanied by a current year rabies certificate (with a vaccination date covering the current licensing year-May 1st or later) and proof of spay or neuter [if applying for the $10 licensing fee] unless we already have your documentation on file in the Clerk’s Office. If you are unsure, please give the office a call, and we can tell you how up-to-date our information is. Dog owners should note that the license(s) to be mailed must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope(the current postage is 71¢ for one dog tag, 93¢ for two dog tags and 1.15¢ for three tags). As of this writing, we have processed 836 of the 2,000+ dog licenses, which is 106 more than last year at this time ~ thank you all for submitting so quickly and if you have not registered your dog, please do so prior to the April 1st deadline ~ thank you.
Reminder, all residents 70-years old or over do not need to pay the $10 or $20 yearly dog licensing fee. I submitted an article at the May 8, 2017 Annual Town Meeting (Article 15) requesting Town Meeting vote to accept MGL CHAPTER 140 SECTION 139(c), which states “No fee shall be charged for a license issued under this section for a service animal as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act or regulations promulgated thereunder. No fee shall be charged for a license for a dog owned by a person aged 70 years or over in a city or town that accepts this provision”. Town meeting did approve the acceptance of MGL Chapter 140 Section 139 (c), which permits the Town Clerk’s Office to waive dog licensing fees for service animals and for dogs owned by any Rehoboth resident 70 years of age and older. Proof of rabies vaccinations for each dog and proof of the dog owner’s age (70 or older) is required. As per Town Counsel, this does not include Kennel Fees.
THE ANNUAL TOWN ELECTION
The Annual Town Election for the Town of Rehoboth will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, with the polls open from 7 AM to 8 PM – Polling Location for all four precincts is Francis Farm Community Center (27 Francis Farm Road) – Museum building. If you would like to review the facility and layout of the polling location, please visit the Town Website at: https://www.rehobothma.gov/home/news/rehoboth-changes-its-centralized-polling-location-francis-farm-community-center-museum Additional details will be communicated as we get closer to the election. As always, the Town website will have updated polling information when available.
Town Nomination papers have been returned and certified. The following Positions to be elected on the ballot for 2024 are Moderator (one for 1 year), Board of Selectmen (two positions for 3 years), Assessor (one for 3 years), Constable (one for one year) School Committee (two for 3 years), Housing Authority (one for five years), Planning Board (two – one for 5 years and one for 3 years), Park Commission (two - one for 5 years and one for 4 years), Tree Warden (one for 3 years), Town Clerk (one for 3 years) and Water Commissioner (one for 3 years).
As of now, it appears we will have four contested races (3-year term D-R School Committee, 4-year term Park Commission, 3-year term Selectmen and 3-year term Water Commission). The Democratic Town Committee nominated: Bill Cute-Moderator for re-election, Dr. Richard Panofsky-Selectman, Robert Owens-D-R School Committee, Lynne Ferreira-Planning Board-5-year term and Tom Nicholson-re-election as Water Commissioner. The Republican Town Committee nominated: George Solas-re-election-Selectman, David Perreira, II-Selectman, Sue Taylor-re-election Assessor, Katie Ferreira-Aubin-re-election D-R School Committee, Joe Collins-re-election Housing Authority, Joe Collins-4-year term Park Commission, Kimberly Pereira-3-year term Planning Board, Laura Schwall-re-election Town Clerk, Rob Johnson-re-election Tree Warden and Martin Parker, Sr.-Constable. Certified nomination papers have been received from Kathy Amaral-re-election – 5-Year Term Park Commission, Karen DaSilva-D-R School Committee-3-year, Lisa Halajko-4-year term Park Commission and Mary Solas-Water Commissioner-3-year.
Rehoboth TV will be hosting a “Meet the Candidate” session on Tuesday, March 19th at 7PM at the Senior Center. It will be the same format as last year. It is not a debate. Each candidate will have an opportunity to introduce themselves to the voters, will answer a few questions and be given an opportunity for a closing statement. Rehoboth TV will air this live and will rebroadcast up until election day on Channel 9.
The final voter registration date, to be eligible to vote in the Annual Town Election, is scheduled for Saturday, March 23rd from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prospective voters are reminded that they may also register to vote online at www.RegisterToVoteMA.com , by calling the Town Clerk’s Office to request a Mail-In Voter Registration Form, or download a form @
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/Voter-reg-mail-in.pdf
Registration forms are also available at the Post Office, Blanding Library and Francis Farm COA. Do you need a Vote-by-Mail ballot for the Annual Town Election? If you requested all elections on your vote-by-mail cards from the State, you will receive an Annual Town Election (ATE) ballot automatically, when we receive from the printer. If you would like to receive an ATE vote-by-mail ballot and did not request one, please complete a Vote-by-Mail application @
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/download/vote-by-mail-applications/vote-by-mail-paper-application-2023.pdf or call the Town Clerk’s office to receive a copy of the application.
Finally, if you have any questions on any of the above items discussed, please feel free to contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 508-252-6502, X3109, X3112 or X3110. Kerrie, Jenn and I wish all residents a Happy St. Patrick’s Day and we hope to see many of you at the upcoming March 5th Presidential Primary, March 16, 2024 Rabies Clinic and April 5, 2022 Annual Town Election – details above. Please keep warm and safe ~ spring can’t be far away! I look forward to speaking with you in April. Please mark your calendars to vote at the March 5th Presidential Primary and April 4th Election at Francis Farm; Town Meeting will be June 4th. Thank you ~ please stay well!
Laura
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