Property Taxes Dominate Norwood’s 1978 Special Election Amid School Committee Recall and Selectman Race-October 23, 1978

Economic Pressure Overshadows Special Municipal Election

As Norwood voters head to the polls tomorrow for a high-stakes special town election, soaring property taxes—projected to average a $150 increase with bills due in just one week—have completely overshadowed all other issues in an otherwise lackluster campaign. Town Clerk Bartley W. Connolly projected a strong turnout of 5,000 to 6,000 voters (roughly 35 percent of registered voters), matching typical annual town election levels.

The ballot features three major contests: filling a vacant seat on the Board of Selectmen following the August 24 death of Joseph W. Wall, filling an open seat on the Finance Commission created by the resignation of E. Peter Bamber, and a contentious recall election targeting four members of the School Committee.

School Committee Recall and Contested Seats

Tomorrow’s recall represents only the second such election in Norwood in 40 years, following a September 5 recall that ousted three school board members over spending disputes. Initiated by a group of parents, the latest recall targets members Rudith Berkowitz, Joan H. Cuff, William F. Egan, and Joseph M. Pentowski for moving to compromise and supporting June town meeting budget cuts rather than holding the line on the full school budget.

While the petitioners did not field candidates against all four, two incumbents face active challengers:

• William F. Egan (a 15-year board veteran and state Lottery Commission employee) is challenged by Richard Joseph, a 15-year Norwood police officer and former school committee chairman (1974–1977). Joseph criticized Egan’s attendance record and historical lack of long-range planning, while Egan defended his record, noting he was ill and pointing out that declining enrollment requires careful reorganization rather than reactionary cuts.
• Joseph M. Pentowski (an insurance underwriter seeking to defend the board’s compromise) faces Paul S. Riccardi, state Department of Corrections budget director with a master’s degree in education. Riccardi argued that any future school closure must prioritize finding a municipal use for the building to ensure tax savings are preserved, whereas Pentowski maintained he had long pushed to address declining enrollment.

Four-Way Selectmen Race and Finance Commission Contest

The race to fill the remaining term of the late Joseph W. Wall features four candidates prioritizing fiscal restraint and the pending appointment of a new fire chief:

• E. Peter Bamber: Resigned his FinCom seat to run, highlighting his nine-year record of leading tax and school budget cuts.
• William F. Butters: A two-term former selectman and ex-state representative emphasizing experience, industrial tax base expansion, and improved voter communication.
• William J. Plasko: Town moderator for six years and public administration student pointing to poor management as the root of recent tax spikes.
• David W. Wall: 22-year-old son of the late selectman, running to carry on his father’s legacy as a “people’s selectman.”

Additionally, four candidates are vying for Bamber’s vacant seat on the Finance Commission—James A. Barss Jr., Robert A. Dempsey, Norman E. Rickard, and Jeannette M. Troiano—with all emphasizing better budget reporting and holding the line on municipal spending. Polling locations span the town’s districts, including Oldham, Aaron Guild, Cleveland, Balch, Callahan, and Prescott schools, open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger