From the Seekonk Town Clerk’s Office

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday Season and wish you all a healthy, and happy new year.

Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge and thank the Rehoboth Garden Club for the beautiful wreaths that decorated our front doorways at Town Hall. It was a lovely addition to our tree lighting ceremony.

We would also like to thank EVERYONE who made the tree lighting ceremony happen. It takes a lot of planning and months of preparation to make this event a success. From the lights, decorations, and music to the food, vendors, activities, and Santa made for a wonderful evening that was enjoyed by many.

Board and Committee Highlight - Seekonk Cultural Council
Massachusetts has the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation. The Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program enriches the cultural life of all cities and towns in Massachusetts. Led by municipally appointed volunteers, LCCs award $7.5 million every year, supporting 7,500 cultural programs that include field trips, lectures, festivals, and dance performances.

The Seekonk Cultural Council (SCC) received 37 grant requests this year from organizations, performers, and speakers both local and from across the state.

Be on the lookout throughout 2025 for creative programs sponsored by the SCC in schools, the library, the Senior Center and other places where the public gathers to learn, experience, and be entertained.

Upcoming News and Reminders for 2025

Town Census Information
The 2025 Annual Town Census will be mailed to all households beginning January 22^nd.  Please update and/or make any changes to the form, sign, and return it to us by February 28, 2025. It can be returned to us in-person, by mail, or by leaving it in the drop box located at the front entrance of Town Hall. If you prefer to send it by email, please forward to townclerk@seekonk-ma.gov.

We are often asked why it is important to return the census. The information that is collected is used to prove residency, update voter rolls, veterans’ benefits, birth records, help predict future school enrollment, establish precinct lines, and qualify for state/federal funding. Failure to respond to the census may result in an interruption in voter status, becoming an inactive voter, and being removed from the active voting list.

Completing a census form does not register you to vote. If you are a registered voter, there will be a party affiliation by your name (i.e. D, R, U, etc.). Updates to your party affiliation can be made in person at our office or by going online to https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/.

Dog Licenses
Dog license forms will also be included in your census mailing. Please remember DOG TAGS EXPIRE ON MARCH 31^st. Massachusetts General Law states dogs must be licensed annually, with proof of a current rabies vaccination. Failure to comply may result in a by-law citation fee. You can renew the license in-person or by mail. If you would like to have the dog tag mailed to you, please return your completed form to us along with a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check made payable to the Town of Seekonk. As a reminder, license fees are waived for residents 70 years of age or older. However, you still need to apply for the license and show the dog is current on their rabies vaccine.

The Annual Seekonk Town Election will be held Monday April 7, 2025. Nomination papers are available in the Town Clerk’s office. The deadline to return completed nomination papers to the Town Clerk’s office is Tuesday, February 14, 2025 at 5:00PM. If you are not registered to vote, but would like to vote at town election, the deadline to register is March 28, 2025.

To run for an elected position, you must be a registered voter in the town. Candidates must obtain a minimum of 50 signatures from registered voters in the Town of Seekonk. We recommend obtaining more signatures in case some signatures are unable to be verified. If signatures are not legible, they cannot be counted. A street address (not P.O. Box) is required from each person signing your papers.

Elected positions for the April 7, 2025 Annual Town Election

• One seat for the Board of Assessors (3-year term)
• Three seats for The Library Board of Trustees (3-year term)
• Two seats for the Planning Board (5-year term)
• One seat for the Planning Board (4-year term)
• Two seats for the School Committee (3-year term)
• One seat for the Select Board (3-year term)
• One seat for the Water Commission (3-year term)

Absentee & Early Voting Ballot Applications request for 2025:
Absentee ballot applications are available in our office or on our website (https://www.seekonk-ma.gov/280/Town-Clerk). If you want to be put on the permanent absentee ballot mailing list, please fill out the form and check off "for all elections.” This form needs to be filled out each year.

To qualify as an absentee voter:

• You will be away from your town on Election Day
• You have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at your polling location on Election Day
• You have a disability that prevents you from voting at your polling location
• You are on active military duty
• You are a U.S. citizen living outside the U.S.
• You are requesting an emergency absentee ballot due to hospitalization
• You are currently incarcerated for a reason other than a felony conviction

If you do not qualify for as absentee voter,  you can complete the vote by mail application which can be found on our website or at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/download/vote-by-mail-applications/vote-by-mail-paper-application-2023.pdf. Applications for both absentee and vote-by-mail must be received by the Town Clerk by 5PM on the 5th business day before an election. We recommend applying earlier than the deadline to be sure it is received in time.

Other Reminders
Fiscal Year 2025 Actual Real Estate Tax Bills and Personal Property Tax Bills will be mailed the first week in January (Quarter 3 due 2/3/25 and Quarter 4 due 5/1/25).  Also Fiscal Year 2025 disposal bills were due 10/17/2024, please contact the Collector’s office for an up-to-date balance if you have not submitted payment yet.

30-Day Public Review Period for Revised Electricity Aggregation Plan
The public review period is open until January 13, 2025.

The Town of Seekonk is holding a 30-day public review period for its revised aggregation plan for Seekonk Community Electricity Aggregation. Seekonk CEA is our Town’s official electricity supply program, active since 2016.

The aggregation plan describes how our electricity program is structured and operated. Seekonk secured approval for our original aggregation plan from the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) in 2015. In July 2024, the DPU issued new rules for aggregation plans, called “Guidelines for Municipal Aggregators”. The guidelines expand local authority for cities and towns concerning the operation of their programs and increase public transparency about program operations. The revisions to our aggregation plan ensure that the plan aligns with the new guidelines.

The revised plan will not impact Seekonk CEA’s current electricity supply options and prices which are fixed until November 2025 through our supply contract with Constellation. No action is required by existing participants to continue receiving the current pricing.

On the program website, MassCEA.com/Seekonk, you can review both the revised plan and the current plan. You can also watch a short video describing the revised plan and read the DPU Guidelines. The program website has a comment form to provide written comments, or you can email support_ma@goodenergy.com with the subject line “Seekonk Plan Comments.” Good Energy is the consultant that developed and manages our program on a day-to-day basis.

Town Hall Hours
Town Offices will be closed to observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 20, 2025.

We hope you have a wonderful month. As always, please contact us (508) 336-2920 or by email at townclerk@seekonk-ma.gov if you have any questions. Thank you for taking the time to read the Town Clerk’s Office monthly update. 

~Kristen and Lorraine