SOUTH HADLEY — The town will be holding a special election on Nov. 8 to fill a vacancy on the Select Board.
At a meeting last week, the Select Board voted unanimously to hold the special election on the same day as the state’s general election. The decision comes after Sarah Etelman, a member of the Select Board since 2013, died on June 3 at the age of 53 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Etelman’s death left a vacancy on the five-person Select Board. The Select Board could have decided to leave the seat open until her term expires in April 2023, but last Tuesday decided to hold a special election to fill the seat.
Holding the special election on Nov. 8 will save the town money, given that it is happening on the same day as the state general election. However, the town will still incur costs given that the Select Board election will have to be on a separate ballot.
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.