Veteran pols to join last group of selectmen: Ryan, Casey top field of candidates amid low turnout

By RICK COLLINS
The Patriot Ledger

BRAINTREE - Faced with an upcoming change in government, Braintree voters - at least the few who turned out at the polls - sent two veteran selectmen back to the board of selectmen.

Selectmen Chairman Charles Ryan and former Selectmen Chairman James Casey easily distanced themselves from the pack yesterday to win the honor of becoming the last two candidates to win a Braintree selectman’s race.

‘‘It’s difficult to be re-elected to the board in this town,’’ said Ryan, who received 31 more votes than Casey, 1,751 to 1,720, according to last night’s unofficial results. ‘‘It tells me that the people think I’m doing a good job.’’

On a day when only 16 percent of the town’s registered voters cast ballots, Ryan, of Conrad Street, placed either first or second in each of Braintree’s 12 precincts.

Casey, of Cape Cod Lane, took five of the town’s precincts, recording, as expected, large margins of victory in the East Braintree voting districts.

‘‘This is a very exciting time for me,’’ said Casey, who was voted off the board in 2002. ‘‘I appreciate all the people who supported me and went out and voted for me.’’

Ryan and Casey will serve on a board that has only eight months to live. It will be abolished when the town switches to a mayoral form of government in January.

With 1,101 votes, political newcomer and Quincy businessman Joseph DiStasio placed third, ahead of former Selectman Timothy Egan, 930 votes, and finance committee member Alan Flowers, 556 votes.

DiStasio, who had spent more than $8,000 in the weeks leading up the election, managed to eke out second-place finishes in precincts 1, 9 and 10.

DiStasio did not rule out continuing to push his major campaign promise, a five-year rollback of the trash fee, from his town meeting seat next month.

Flowers, a long-time community activist in the Granite Park neighborhood, came in third in his home precinct, 14 votes behind winner Casey.

Albion ‘‘Dick’’ Fletcher, a long-time town meeting member, won his first town-wide election and will serve as town meeting’s last moderator before that position, too, is abolished in January.

He defeated former town auditor and administrator William Sweeney II, 1,784 to 1,395, carrying all precincts except for Precinct 10, Sweeney’s home district, and Precinct 12.

And in the day’s tightest race, William Grove was able to hang on to his planning board seat, fending off a challenge by zoning board member Walter Cartwright III, 1,683 votes to 1,483. The planning board won’t be abolished, but will become an appointed panel.

Ryan said his immediate priority is balancing the town’s budget for next year.

‘‘We need to make sure the new form of government is set up to succeed,’’ he said at his election night party at Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse.

In a nod to his strong East Braintree voting base, Casey told reporters at town hall that he plans to ask the board to name him the town’s Greenbush project liaison, and draft a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick asking that money be transferred from the state to the MBTA for the construction of a promised sound wall along Front Street.

Casey also said he plans to work to prevent the town from making any major capital or personnel decisions before the change in government.

Rick Collins may be reached at rcollins@ledger.com .

Copyright 2007 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Wednesday, April 04, 2007