Latest news with #Field
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
When will recount happen in Taunton state rep race with 17-vote margin of victory?
Republican Larry Quintal has collected enough signatures for a districtwide recount in his race against Democrat Lisa Field, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office said Wednesday. Field beat Quintal in the race for state representative in the 3rd Bristol District by 17 votes, according to official election results. Now, Quintal is seeking a recount. The spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said the election results must be certified by the Massachusetts governor and the Governor's Council before a district wide recount can proceed. The governor and the Governor's Council are expected to certify the election results on Wednesday, June 25, the spokesperson said. The districtwide recount would thus be expected to occur after June 25. The spokesperson said that Easton and Taunton are expected to schedule recounts on different days or different times so that the two municipalities do not hold their recounts simultaneously. Here's what we know. To seek a districtwide recount, Quintal needed to obtain at least 38 signatures of registered voters, a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said. Quintal appears to have obtained 125 signatures in support of a recount, the spokesperson said. A districtwide recount has a requirement that the margin of victory between the candidates must be "less than 0.5% of the votes cast in that race," a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said. According to official election results, Field beat Quintal by 17 votes, which puts Field's margin of victory within the margin required for a district wide recount to occur. The spokesperson added that Quintal's "petitions are in apparent conformity with the law" and that the secretary of state's office is moving forward with the process to hold a recount. On election night, Tuesday, June 10, Field declared victory but said Quintal was 'within his rights to ask for a recount.' On election night, Quintal initially called Field to concede the election. He then rescinded his concession and has since indicated he will be seeking a recount. Mark Pacheco, the elections director for the city of Taunton, told the Gazette in an email that "recounts do cost money, of course" and that costs include "a police detail cost, election worker cost, other labor cost, and supply cost." He estimated that a recount would cost "under $5,000 for the City of Taunton." According to the official results from Easton, Field won Easton with 1,033 votes to Quintal's 961 votes. According to the official results from Taunton, Quintal won Taunton with 1,597 votes to Field's 1,542 votes. In total, Field won the election by 17 votes, garnering 2,575 votes to Quintal's 2,558, according to the official election votes from both municipalities. The 3rd Bristol District consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton: Easton: Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 Taunton: Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette. She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position as a lobbyist, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works. Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon Doherty's death, wanted to "continue her legacy." "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette. Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans services. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton city councilor and co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton. Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his state rep campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said. With reporting by Daniel Schemer. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton, Easton election: When is recount in state rep race?
Observer
3 days ago
- Business
- Observer
Finance chiefs call for ‘clearer' tax policy
UK Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is facing pressure to provide a 'clearer, more stable tax environment,' when she delivers her growth strategy next month. The Chancellor is once again in the spotlight after a damning report from finance bosses indicated the industry was prepped to support growth ambitions, but structural barriers were holding them back. Top players in the financial services ecosystem – KPMG, UK Finance and PIMFA (Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice) – said 'potential will remain untapped unless underlying structural challenges' are addressed'. The report said reforms to tax policy posed a 'valuable opportunity' to drive up greater confidence'. Business confidence sank in the fall out of Reeves' maiden Budget, where taxes were hiked £40bn. The Chancellor's controversial change to employer's national insurance came into effect last month, with rates for firms upped 1.2 per cent to 15 per cent. Managing director of personal finance at UK Finance, Eric Lendeers, said: 'Investors and firms need stability to make informed decisions and to invest for the future. Mixed signals on taxation only compound the problem.' He added it was crucial to avoid 'knee-jerk reactions' on tax policy. The Chancellor is facing mounting speculation of another tax hike after it was calculated half of her £9.9bn in fiscal headroom had been wiped out just 48 hours after the Spring Statement. Chief executive at PIMFA, Liz Field, said: 'Uncertainty surrounding non-dom tax status has driven more capital and talent overseas which impacts UK investment and competitiveness.' Field added: 'Frequent shifts and speculations around issues like tax-free cash, pensions, and ISAs undermine confidence and disrupt financial planning for clients.' Reeves inaugural Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy is pencilled in for 15 July, where the industry will be anticipating the Chancellor's plans to boost the economy. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves gives a speech at the Treasury in London, Britain. — Reuters Partner at KPMG UK, Daniel Barry, said: 'As risk to the UK's finance stability are rising, the government has a significant opportunity to instil greater confidence among sector leaders at a time of great uncertainty and geopolitical volatility.' The report from KPMG, UK Finance and PIMFA compiles views from chief executives and senior leaders across the private bank and wealth management industry, as well as financial advice and related services. The sector holds over £1.6 trillion in assets and bosses said reforms were needed to 'unlock the full potential'. Field said: 'There's a concern across our sector that without a more stable, proportionate and joined-up policy environment, we risk missing a vital opportunity to unlock investment, drive innovation, and promote greater financial resilience across society.' A separate issue that is causing concern to firms in the UK is the Employment Rights Bill which is currently progressing through parliament and expected to become law in the coming months. Small business owners would continue hiring new staff despite fears around the government's workers' rights package if it contained a rebate on the overhaul's new sick pay rules. According to a poll by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), 35 per cent of entrepreneurs and small business owners believe that a rebate for their firms over sick pay would make them to employ people currently out of work. The government claims its Employment Rights Bill represents the biggest overhaul of workers' rights in a generation. Other important changes within the package include outlawing 'exploitative' zero-hours contracts and so-called 'fire and rehire' practices. Under the current package, bosses have to grant staff statutory sick pay from their first day of employment, removing the current waiting period of three days. But small businesses fear the sick pay reform will cost them millions and deter them from taking on new employees. Of the 92 per cent of FSB members that have concerns about the workers' rights bill, 74 per cent believe they will recruit fewer workers. Executive director of the FSB, Craig Beaumont, said the spending review was an opportunity for the Chancellor to incorporate the sick pay demands of small businesses.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Taunton, Easton elections officials: There are no 'missing' mail-in ballots for state rep
The Republican candidate for state representative in the 3rd Bristol District said he questions "many things" about the election results and is calling for a recount. According to official election results, Democrat Lisa Field has beaten Republican Larry Quintal for the race for state representative in Taunton and Easton by 17 votes. Quintal has indicated he will be seeking a recount. Field declared victory on election night, Tuesday, June 10. In a June 12 Facebook post, Quintal wrote, "I question many things" about the election. He wrote that he is concerned that there were "mail in ballots that were stamped June 10th by the USPS but were delivered on June 11th" and that "they don't want" those ballots "counted." But both the Easton town clerk and the Taunton elections director disputed the idea that mail in ballots that were delivered after 8 p.m. on election day are legally eligible to be counted. The state representative race between Quintal and Field was a special election to fill a vacancy created by the death of incumbent Carol Doherty in February — and under Massachusetts state law, mail-in ballots delivered after the close of the in-person voting cannot be counted as valid ballots in a special election. Here's what we know. According to the Massachusetts secretary of state's website, with the exception of the regular biannual November state election, mail-in ballots must 'reach your local election office or drop box by close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted." (In the biannual November statewide elections, mail in ballots can be received up to three days after election day, according to the secretary of state's website.) This means that mail-in ballots that arrived after 8 p.m. on Tuesday could not be counted in the election results. The Gazette sent questions about mail-in ballots to the city of Taunton and town of Easton. Taunton's elections department issued a written statement about the election results on Thursday, June 12 2025. The written statement cited a Massachusetts law that says that mail in ballots "shall be received by the city or town clerk before the hour fixed for closing the polls." (That law says that the exception to this is biannual November state elections, during which ballots that arrive up to three days after the close of the election day polls can still be counted.) Provisional ballots and overseas ballots could have been counted in the special election between Field and Quintal, according to the written statement. However, in Taunton, "our office does not have any provisional or overseas ballots to be counted," the Taunton elections department said. According to the written statement, 409 mail-in ballots were requested by Taunton voters for the special election, and 327 of those were returned before 8 p.m. on election day, the deadline by which they needed to be delivered in order to be counted. "This leaves 82 ballots that were mailed to voters, but not received by the Elections Department by the close of polls," the written statement said. "It is not unusual to have less than a 100% return rate of Vote by Mail Ballots, in any election. They are not missing, they simply were not received by the Elections Department by the appropriate time to be cast and counted." "Since the close of polls on June 10th at 8 p.m. our office has received 15 late ballots," the press release said. "Per the law, it is too late to count these Vote by Mail Ballots after the close of polls on Election Day. Easton Town Clerk Danielle Sicard told the Gazette in a Thursday, June 12, email that "mail in ballots must be received by 8PM on Election Day to be counted." Sicard said that Easton had two overseas ballots, one confidential ballot, and one ballot that was placed in the "hand count compartment" by the voter and that those four ballots were not counted in the unofficial results but were counted in the official results. (The Easton unofficial results and Easton official results differed by four votes). According to the official results from Easton, Field won Easton with 1,033 votes to Quintal's 961 votes. According to the official results from Taunton, Quintal won Taunton with 1,597 votes to Field's 1,542 votes. In total, Field won the election by 17 votes, garnering 2,575 votes to Quintal's 2,558, according to the official election votes from both municipalities. The 3rd Bristol District consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton: Easton: Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 Taunton: Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette. She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position as a lobbyist, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works. Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon Doherty's death, wanted to "continue her legacy." "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette. Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans services. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton city councilor and co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton. Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his state rep campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said. With reporting by Daniel Schemer. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton, Easton election officials: No 'missing' mail-in ballots
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- General
- South Wales Argus
Monmouthshire garden owner recognised by National Garden Scheme
Sarah Clay received an engraved garden fork from Debbie Field of the National Garden Scheme (NGS) for her and her husband Anthony's commitment. The couple's garden, designed collaboratively by Eric Francis and Avray Tipping, is in the Italianate Arts and Crafts style, featuring a range of elements from a rose garden to a summerhouse. The garden is opened as part of the NGS, which raises money for charities by charging an admission fee for private garden viewings. Over the past two decades, the Clays have raised thousands for the cause. Ms Field said: "Gardeners never think their garden is good enough to open for the NGS; they are their own worst critics." She encourages more garden owners to consider joining the scheme to aid in the ongoing fundraising. The Clays' garden includes a rose garden designed by Sarah Price, added in 2018, which hosts a variety of flowers from April to October. There are also features like ancient sculpted topiary, a sunken garden, and woodland areas. A walled garden houses fruit trees, and a recently added Platinum Jubilee border features lavender and an arbour, with a mural painted by Andrea Davies in 2023. The NGS depends on the generosity of private garden owners to raise funds for its causes. Ms Field calls for those interested in opening their gardens or knowing someone who might be to get in contact at wenalltisaf@
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Taunton official election results: Field holds onto 17-vote lead — Quintal says it's not over
Democrat Lisa Field has beaten Republican Larry Quintal in the race for state representative in the 3rd Bristol District by 17 votes, according to official election results. It's a lower margin of victory compared to the Tuesday night unofficial results from Easton and Taunton, which showed Field winning by 21 votes. But it's not over. Quintal has indicated on Facebook that he will be seeking a recount. On election night, Tuesday, June 10, Field declared victory but said Quintal was 'within his rights to ask for a recount.' The 3rd Bristol is made up of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton. Field and Quintal faced off in a special election on Tuesday, June 10, to fill the seat left vacant by the death of incumbent Carol Doherty in February. Here's what we know about the results and about how a recount would work. On election night on Tuesday, June 10, Quintal initially called Field to concede the election. He then rescinded his concession and has since indicated he will be seeking a recount. A spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said that there are a couple of different types of recounts a campaign could request: A districtwide recount that would recount votes from the entire district; or a ward/precinct recount that would recount votes from specific wards or precincts in Easton or Taunton. To petition for a recount, a campaign would need to obtain some number of signatures of registered voters. The number of signatures would depend on what type of recount is being sought. "A districtwide recount has a lower signature threshold (38 signatures from anywhere in the district), but it takes longer, because the recount cannot be ordered until the Governor and Governor's Council have certified the election results," the spokesperson said. A districtwide recount also has the requirement that the margin of victory between the candidates is "less than 0.5% of the votes cast in that race," the spokesperson added. Field's margin of victory is 17 votes out of a total of 5,163 votes cast, a margin of victory of .3% — which meets the requirement for a districtwide recount. "A ward/precinct-level recount can be conducted no matter the margin, and before final results are certified," the spokesperson said. "For that type of recount, they would need to gather at least 10 signatures in each precinct (for Easton) or ward (for Taunton) that they want recounted. With this type of recount, the candidate may choose to petition for a recount in every ward and precinct in the district, or only in certain wards or precincts." The spokesperson said that when a recount would occur would depend on the type of recount sought. "We will have a better idea of the timeline of the recount after one or both campaigns has submitted recount petitions to the local election officials," the spokesperson said. Quintal wrote on Facebook, "I believe this is definitely the right decision on my part to have a recount." He indicated that he would be seeking signatures for a recall petition at a later date. "I will keep all of you posted when it is time for signatures," Quintal wrote. Mark Pacheco, the elections director for the city of Taunton, told the Gazette in an email that "recounts do cost money, of course" and that costs include "a police detail cost, election worker cost, other labor cost, and supply cost." He estimated that a recount would cost "under $5,000 for the City of Taunton." According to the official results from Easton, Field won Easton with 1,033 votes to Quintal's 961 votes. According to the official results from Taunton, Quintal won Taunton with 1,597 votes to Field's 1,542 votes. In total, Field won the election by 17 votes, garnering 2,575 votes to Quintal's 2,558, according to the official election votes from both municipalities. The 3rd Bristol District consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton: Easton: Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 Taunton: Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette. She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position as a lobbyist, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works. Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon Doherty's death, wanted to "continue her legacy." "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette. Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans services. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton city councilor and co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton. Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his state rep campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said. With reporting by Daniel Schemer. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton official election results: Field wins by 17 votes. Is it over?
