By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

Candia, Auburn and Pembroke made the following decisions at the Tuesday, March 14 vote:

Candia
By a mere seven votes, Candia residents voted to adopt the official ballot, or SB2, system. A three-fifths majority was needed for the switch, which had been proposed in past years but always failed. The SB2 warrant article this year passed 437- 281.

Selectman was a hot office this year, with eight candidates vying for three open seats.

James Brennan and Thomas Giffen, gathering 384 and 326 votes respectively, will occupy two three-year seats on the governing board. Scott Tierno and William Kelley gathered 243 and 200 votes respectively.

Four people entered the race to fill a one-year selectman position. Richard Lazott won with 280 votes. Kenneth Goekjian had 239 votes, Joaquim Duarte had 109 and Joseph Lamarche had 45.

Incumbents Ingrid Byrd and William Zarges will return to the school board, gathering 410 and 377 votes respectively. Israel Willard received 285 votes.

Voters approved six changes to the town’s zoning rules, including one that asks if the town should join the National Flood Insurance Program.

Voters rejected three of the proposed zoning amendments, including two that would have tightened driveway restrictions.

Auburn
Russell Sullivan won the three-person race to fill the open selectman seat. Sullivan earned a three-year term, getting 326 votes. Elizabeth “Duffy” Smiley got 276 votes, while James Fusco got 182.

Incumbents Kathleen Porter and Robert Hayes will return to the school board, gathering 554 and 469 votes respectively. They were the only two candidates for the open three-year seats.

In the only other contested race in town, Dennis McCarthy got 522 votes for a three-year seat on the police commission.

Voters approved six townsponsored changes to the town’s zoning ordinances, and denied three zoning changes that were proposed through a citizens petition.

Another petition change, one that revises the town’s definition of open space, passed 406-344.

Pembroke
In the town’s only contested race, a three-year seat on the board of selectmen, Fred Kline defeated Roland Lemoine 258-231.

Ryland H. Weisiger won an uncontested race for the open three-year seat on the school board. Weisiger got 429 votes.

Voters approved all five changes to zoning ordinances as proposed by the planning board, including one that will substantially revise portions of the town’s growth management ordinance.