From the Town Clerk

Posted Wednesday, October 11, 2017 12:09 pm

Hello All ~ I hope you are enjoying the beautiful Fall weather in Rehoboth! Speaking of the Fall, I would like to remind all town residents that Town Offices will be closed on Monday, October 9th for Columbus Day.

Special State Senate Election – Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Tuesday, October 17th is the Special State Senate Election to fill Senator Timilty’s vacated seat. All three precincts will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Precinct I is located at the Town Office Building - 148 Peck Street, Precinct II is located at the Gladys L. Hurrell Senior Center - 55 Bay State Road and Precinct III is located at the South Fire Station - 104 Pleasant Street. There are three candidates running for the Bristol-Norfolk District Senate seat:
Paul R. Feeney – Foxboro – Democrat
Jacob J. Ventura – Attleboro – Republican
Joseph M. Shortsleeve – Medfield – Unenrolled

In order to vote in this special election, you must be registered to vote by Wednesday, September 27, 2017. If you are not sure if you are registered, please check your voter status on the Secretary of State’s website at:
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/VoterRegistrationSearch/MyVoterRegStatus.aspx.

If your registration indicates your voter status as inactive, please contact the Clerk’s office. Should voters have questions or unable to check their voter registration status online, please call the Town Clerk’s Office at 508 252-6502, Extension 3109 or 3110.

Results of the September 19, 2017 – Special State Senate Primary
Six Percent of the voting population voted at the September 19, 2017 Special State Senate Primary, which is up three percent from the September 2016 Primary. 535 of the 8,604 voters voiced their opinion on who should fill Senator Timilty’s vacated senate seat. The 9-19-17 Primary winners in both Rehoboth and Bristol-Norfolk County were Democratic Candidate Paul Feeney and Republican Candidate Jacob J. Ventura.

Our elections would not be possible without the help of so many wonderful people. Therefore, a quick thank you to Lynn Shaker, Assistant Town Clerk, all election workers (Wardens, Clerks, Inspectors, and Constables) of all three precincts, election equipment set up/take down crews, and registrars for your time and dedication to the September 19, 2017 election. Thank you also Jaime Conlon, Town Nurse and Rehoboth Ambulance for helping us with an Election Day situation.

Absentee Ballots Available for October 17, 2017 Election
We received the absentee ballots for the upcoming 10-17-17 Special State Senate election on Tuesday, September 26th. If you will be out of town or unable to vote on Tuesday, October 17th, please stop by our office, complete the absentee ballot application and vote at Town Hall. We will secure your ballot and have the Wardens and Clerks process your ballot at the 10-17-17 Election. Absentee Ballot Applications are available online at: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/absentee_ballot.pdf Absentee Ballot Applications are also available at the Blanding Library, Post Office, and Senior Center in addition to Town Hall. The deadline to file an absentee ballot application is Monday, October 16th @ 12:00 Noon. All completed absentee ballots must be returned to the Town Clerk’s office by 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 in order to be processed in the State Election.

Special Fall Town Meeting – RESCHEDULED to November 6, 2017 from October 16, 2017
By October 23, you should receive the 11-06-17 Special Fall Town Meeting Warrant in the mail. Our Special Fall Town Meeting will be held at the Dighton-Rehoboth High School Auditorium at 7:00 PM. If you will be 18 years of age or older by November 6, 2017, you may register to vote by the October 27th deadline ~ just in time for Fall Town Meeting. Remember your vote is important in the way our town is run and revenue is spent! However, you must be present in order to voice your opinion. Please come to Fall Town Meeting and be a part of the decision making process of our wonderful town. Hope to see you there.

Voter Registration – Town Meeting & State Election
We will have another special voter registration session on Friday, October 27th with extended hours, from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., for those who cannot make it to Town Hall during regular business hours. If you are unable to make it to town hall, you may also register online @ https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/ or www.RegisterToVoteMA.com . Reminder – if you are not registered by Wednesday, September 27, 2017 you will not be eligible to vote in the October 17, 2017 Special State Senate election, and if you are not registered by October 27th, you will not be able to participate in the November 6, 2017 Special Fall Town Meeting.

Dog Licenses
Unfortunately after two mailed reminders, several monthly reminders in the Rehoboth Reporter, and reminder calls from our Animal Control Officer, we have issued non-criminal citations to those residents who have not paid their April 1, 2017 dog license fees. If you received a citation, please make sure your dog(s) has a valid rabies certificate and send or bring your licensing fees to town hall as soon as possible. To date we have registered 2,075 dogs up 25 from last year and we currently have 64 license renewals outstanding. As a reminder, the Town Clerk’s Office will be open for voter registration on Friday, October 27th from 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM if you would like to stop by and pay your dog license fees then. Dog licenses can be renewed online @ https://www.invoicecloud.com/rehobothgovsvcs, or by mail (if paying by mail, checks should be made payable to the “Town of Rehoboth”). We hope to hear from you or see you soon.

Marriage Intentions/Marriage Certificates
October is one of our busiest months for Marriage Intentions/Certificates in Rehoboth. Therefore, as a quick reminder of the process, both parties must come to town hall and complete a three-part packet (Marriage Intention, Marriage Supplement, and Marriage Worksheet). The parties must provide their social security number and mother’s maiden name. Upon completion of the documents, there is a “State required” 3-day waiting period before the couple may pick up their marriage license. The marriage license is good for 60-days. If you are not married within that timeframe, you must complete the process again. The charge is $20 for the Marriage Intention and $10 for the Marriage Certificate. Note: If you are using an officiant from another state (Rhode Island for example), your officiant must obtain a one-day solemnization certificate from the Secretary of State’s office prior to your wedding day. The application can be found on the Secretary of State’s website, the Rehoboth Town Clerk’s website, or we have copies at town hall.

Finally, please remember the following events in October and early November: Fall Special Town Meeting is rescheduled to Monday, November 6, 2017 in the Dighton-Rehoboth High School Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. Final voter registration for Special Town Meeting is Friday, October 27th from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. and the Special State Senate Election is Tuesday, October 17, 2017 all three precincts will be open from 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. One more reminder – Wednesday, November 1st quarterly real estate taxes are due. Please have a wonderful October ~ Lynn and I wish our Jewish neighbors celebrating Sukkot ~ Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday) and to all Rehoboth residents we wish you a safe and healthy Columbus Day & Halloween! Happy “employment anniversary” Lynn Shaker ~ 12 years with the Town of Rehoboth as Assistant Town Clerk! Thank you for your dedication to the town and residents of Rehoboth.