Voters Will Elect New Selectman Sept. 24

Seekonk residents will decide in a little more than three months who will replace Bill Rice on the Board of Selectmen. The board on Wednesday approved Sept. 24 as the date for the special election.

Rice resigned last Friday. He has refused to state publicly why he quit.

Board Chair Francis Cavaco said on Wednesday that he wanted to have the election Sept. 6 to coincide with the state primary, which would save the town money. Town Clerk Jan Parker told him this was not allowed by Massachusetts law. She requested the election take place Sept. 24.

Residents added $3,000 to the 2012-13 municipal budget at this weeks town meeting to fund the election.

Potential candidates can begin pulling nomination papers from Town Hall on Thursday. They have until Aug. 6 to return the papers signed by the appropriate number of registered Seekonk voters.

The election winner will serve the remainder of Rice's term, which expires in April 2014.

The last special election was in August 2008 when Cavaco defeated former Selectman and Fire Chief David Viera. They were competing to replace Carol Bragg, who had resigned after a year in office.