A heart-felt thank you to all of the voters of Belmont for entrusting me with this great responsibility. This race was a true learning experience and I will be a better Selectman because of it. Its closeness confirms the belief I held when I started my campaign that we must all work together on common goals for our future. I pledge to be a Selectman for all residents and respectfully request your thoughts and comments on the many issues facing our Town. During this campaign I got to know my opponent, Dan Scharfman, and we developed a friendly relationship and had a good time. He is a true …

It took nearly the entire day Tuesday but the 2012 Belmont Town Election has been certified by Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman. See the pdf file on this webpage for the final vote count. And the final, final numbers show that Andy Rojas winning margin in his Board of Selectmen race with Dan Scharfman was by a wider margin than what was announced on Monday night: by three additional votes. After adding overseas votes and those that needed hand counting, Rojas was awarded six additional votes and Scharfman three. The revised, certified totals now show Rojas with 2,171 and Scharfman with 2,136…

It all came down to Precinct 6 and Andy Rojas and his supporters were a bit nervous.  Despite having a nearly 100 vote lead, the candidate for the Board of Selectmen in the annual town election Monday, April 2, knew that "6" – which borders the home district of challenger Dan Scharfman – would likely be the difference maker, one way or the other. When the tally was phoned in from the polling station, the totals from the precinct wasn't encouraging: 242 for Rojas and 333 for Scharfman. But a quick calculations found that Rojas would keep his lead – but just barely. In the end, Rojas would win …

It was one of the closest races in Belmont town election history but when he results came in at about 8:20 p.m. from Precinct 6, Andy Rojas said he knew he had edged out the School Committee's Dan Scharfman for the open seat on the Board of Selectmen. “It was exciting as the numbers came in, precinct by precinct, and I knew it was going to be very close,” said Rojas. “Right now, it’s difficult for me to consider all the responsibility I will have but I know I will do my best for the town.” Winning by 32 votes of roughly 4,400 cast – a margin of less than 1/10 of a percent – taught Rojas that …

In one of the closest races in Belmont election history, the Planning Board's Andres Rojas defeated School Committee member Dan Scharfman by a mere 32 votes, 2,165 to 2,133, for a seat on the Belmont Board of Selectmen. Rojas replaces Angelo Firenze on the three-member board. Belmont saw 4,413 votes cast as 26.1 percent of registered voters entered one of the town's eight polling stations on Monday, April 2. The victory is historic as the New York-born Rojas – a Cambridge-based architect – becomes the first Hispanic and first minority member of the Board.  Board of Selectman  votes (…

After a very slow start, the number of voters in Belmont's town election is making steady progress in the final hours.  Three contested town races, energetic candidates, well-attended campaign events and seemingly interested voters, it appears with less than an hour-and-a-half remaining before the precinct polling stations close,  that about one-in-four registered voters just might cast a vote, hitting the average for most town elections.  For the candidates in the contested races, the day included voting, working, a little politiking and hoping to see more voters coming out to the polls.  …

The Belmont Media Center will broadcast live coverage of today's town election results beginning at 8 p.m. The coverage will be seen live on Channels 8 and 28 as well as live on the web at http://belmontmedia.org/watch/govt-ed-access  Viewers will be able to see and hear candidate interviews as well as the results as they are announced at Belmont Town Hall with Belmont Patch editor Franklin Tucker while hearing commentary from a panel of residents in BMC's Studio A.  The panel will consist of co-hosts BMC's Jack Kelly and freelance reporter Susan Danseyar along with former Selectman and …

Whether it is a national election, a Proposition 2 1/2 override or the annual town election, on the Saturday before the vote, the corner of Common Street and Concord Avenue in front of the Commuter Rail Tunnel in Belmont Center is THE location to get the message out for candidates and causes alike. And on Saturday, March 31, a collection of supporters (and candidates) took stick and sign in hand to remind residents in the vicinity to go out and vote for their particular candidate. And whether the sign holders are veterans or rookies, the message is the same: direct democracy is the preferred …

The town is giving a party, said Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, and so far not that many guests have decided to attend. Despite three competitive races and dry conditions, voters are staying away from the polls as of 11 a.m., according to the number of ballots cast at five of eight precincts. Only Precinct 1, the home district of Selectmen candidate Dan Scharfman, is showing some activity with a little more than 200 voters entering the polling station at the Belmont Public Library. Precinct 5, the base for both candidates Andy Rojas (Board of Selectmen) and Matt Sullivan (School Committee) had …

The annual town election for town-wide offices and the election of all Town Meeting members take place today, Monday, April 2. TimePolling places open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.Transportation to the pollsThe League of Women Voters of Belmont is offering rides to the polls from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 617-771-8500 to schedule transportation.Questions about or during votingMost questions – including who is eligible to vote in Belmont – that arise during voting can be answered by the precinct warden at the polling station. Other questions should be addressed to the Town Clerk's Office at 617-993-2600.…

I am writing to ask for your support of Pascha Griffiths for School Committee. I have known Pascha in a variety of capacities over the last 12 years but most significantly, she’s my wife.  You might say: of course, you’d ask us to vote for Pascha: you’re her husband!  You’re highly biased! And I would agree: I am biased. But more than anyone, I have also seen up close how serious Pascha has taken this campaign and how it has spurred her to serve the citizens of Belmont.  In fact, before I go any further, let me ask one thing: the next time you meet a candidate or incumbent in local politics, …

As a candidate for school committee, I would like to thank the Belmont Patch for its “Question of the Week” column. Having the opportunity to communicate thoughts and ideas about and for the Belmont Public Schools was very valuable. I would like to use this final opportunity to address a few of the issues that are before us.   The Search for a Permanent Superintendent: Belmont benefited greatly under the 20 years of Dr. Peter Holland’s leadership, and is fortunate to have Dr. Thomas Kingston at the helm as interim-superintendent. Kingston has agreed to extend his term for a second year, …

During my campaign for School Committee I have talked to numerous residents of Belmont. I have enjoyed talking to old friends and making new acquaintences while campaigning throughout town. All citizens have raised issues important to them. Class size is important to parents of young school aged children. User fees and class electives are important to parents with students in the middle and high school. Belmont schools offer a great education to all students. We rank among the highest districts in the state.  Having gone through the Belmont schools and also serving on several committees I …

Monday, April 2, is Town Election Day in Belmont.  But for some residents, the opporunity to vote is hampered by limited mobility or the lack of transportation to the polls which are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For some, election day could become a missed chance to vote.  For those voters, the Belmont League of Women Voters is here to assist them. League volunteers will drive voters from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to their precinct to make their selections Monday.  Call 617-771-8500 to schedule a ride. 

Before you go into Fenway Park, you need to buy a program to know who the players are. And just like Fenway, before residents vote Monday, April 2, in the annual Belmont Town Election, they will need their own program to be better informed about the candidates running not only town wide but also the neighbors running for Town Meeting. The Belmont League of Women Voters has produced an on line version of its yearly "Voter Guide" that was sent to all residents in the mail in the past week. The League contacted all the candidates for town-wide office as well as all Town Meeting Member candidates…

Belmont needs Selectmen with the experience to manage our affairs and lead us through changing times without sacrificing what we value most.I have that experience.• Town-wide elected office: as a member of the School Committee, I understand what it means to be accountable to the public, to manage public money, and to oversee a strong administrator.  • Collective bargaining: I’ve helped negotiate labor agreements that are both affordable for the town and fair to our employees.• Hiring: I’ve helped hire Executive Directors, high-level personnel, and our successful interim Superintendent.• …

Hello Belmont voters. You may still be undecided about whom you are going to vote for in the Selectman’s election this coming Monday, April 2nd. Let me help you. I am Andy Rojas. I am a landscape architect and a principal with my wife, Allison Miele Rojas, of Rojas Design, Inc. I am currently Vice-Chairman of the Planning Board and have been a member for seven years. I have also served on Town committees related to economic development and capital projects andmany others. As a Planning Board member, I have applied my experience and skills to the many development-related issues that come …

Yesterday, Tuesday, March 27, at the studios of the Belmont Media Center, the three candidates for two seats on the Belmont School Committee – Pascha Griffiths, Anne Lougee and Matt Sullivan – spent an hour answering questions on a wide array of issues concerning the education of Belmont residents. Answering questions from Franklin B. Tucker, editor of Belmont Patch, freelance reporter Susan Danseyar and former Selectman and School Committee member Anne Marie Mahoney, the candidates discussed paying for long-term capital improvements, the student risk survey, the good and the bad aspects of …

In his first run for public office, Selectmen's candidate Andy Rojas used his business connections and fund-raising skills to bring in more than double the amount of campaign funds of his rival, Dan Scharfman. According to campaign finance documents filed with Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman yesterday, March 26, Rojas has raised $22,935 from Jan. 1 until the middle of March from a mix of residents and out-of-town contributions. Scharfman reported just under $11,000 from fund raising and funds carried over from the previous year. Along with out raising the current School Committee member, the…

For the Belmont Selectman candidates, the outcome of next week's town election, on April 2, will play a critical role in the future of the "Town of Homes." Before an audience of voters, residents and Town Meeting candidates at the annual League of Women Voters Candidate's Night, Andy Rojas said next week's decision "will define the future of Belmont" as the town will come under a "development onslaught like we've never seen" for the next decade and his skill set and experience makes him "uniquely qualified" to meet those rising challenges.  His opponent to replace the retiring Angleo Firenze …