Challenger Marybeth Quill upset three-term Rindge Select Board member Roberta Oeser at the polls Tuesday.
Quill received a total of 682 votes to Oeser’s 434.
In other contested races, the three-way race for the two open planning board seats resulted in incumbents Katelyn Smith and Julie Sementa fending off challenger Joel Aho. Smith had the strongest showing, with a total of 806 votes, and Sementa took the second open seat with 593 to Aho’s 390.
The Budget Advisory Committee, which had no official candidates, had two write in winners, James Burger with 112 votes and Casey Burage with 16.
Political newcomer Deneen “Deni” Dickler took the contested race for the Zoning Board seat for one year, unseating incumbent Martin Kulla 645 to 383.
Voters gave the go-ahead on the majority of articles on the warrant, but did balk at the budget.
Article 10, which requested a total of $4.5 million for the operating budget of the town, failed in a 620-535 vote.
The default budget, which is last year’s budget plus required adjustments, is $4.43 million.
However, voters did approve $57,736 in funds to hire a ninth police officer position, an ongoing expense, though the vote was narrow.
607 people voted to approve the ninth police officer, with 539 against.
Dickler, also campaigning for her successful Zoning Board run, agreed, saying she had also voted for the position, saying the town was paying too much in overtime hours, and the police officers were overextending themselves.
“I think we owe it to them and ourselves,” Dickler said.
The only articles voters were not in favor of were article 8 and article 9, both of which would have redistricted sections of town. Currently, the two parcels are bisected by the business/light industry and the residential agriculture zoning districts, and the town was seeking to rezone them exclusively in the light industry district.
Voters were strongly against the move, voting 329-832 for article 8 and 232-935 for article 9, with negative votes winning out in both cases.
All other articles were passed, including zoning articles.
Voters approved continuing payments on fire vehicles, including $55,011 for the lease for the fire rescue truck, and a separate article for $92,976 for the fourth payment for the lease of Engine One. Both leases are for five years, and contain escape clauses.
Voters also gave the OK to spend $25,000 for the capital reserve for the fire department’s command vehicle, in what is likely to be a two-year request before the purchase of the vehicle.
Several of the zoning amendments proposed this year were the result of discussions with the Planned Unit Residential Development Committee, which was formed this year after several controversial developments were proposed, prompting discussions about whether growth in Rindge was happening too quickly.
The new ordinances limit the town’s “multi-unit” buildings to a total of six units per building, and now require each dwelling unit be on a separate lot, among other changes.
Among the amendments, accessory dwelling units are not allowed in the college district and also now allow detached apartments, such as apartments above detached garages.