Jessica Martin, a Democrat, and Neile Hartman, an Independent, won seats on the Barrington Town Council in Tuesday’s election. 

Martin secured more than 30 percent of the vote, while Hartman captured nearly 29 percent. 

Encumbent council president, Braxton Cloutier, failed to retain his seat. He finished third with 23.78 percent of the vote. Independent candidate Tony Arico had a stronger than expected showing, winning nearly 17 percent of the vote. 

Martin shared a message with the Barrington Times late Tuesday night. She wrote that she was really excited to serve on the town council.

“This town means a lot to all of us and I am honored to be a part of our history,” Martin added. 

Hartman also shared a statement. She wrote that she put everything she had into her race for the council seat, right up until the very last minute — she logged 13 hours on her feet on Election Day, she wrote.

“I am thrilled that my message resonated with Barrington voters. I am also very touched by the folks who supported me today, many of whom took a moment to share their enthusiasm for the promise of change I campaigned for,” Hartman wrote. 

During an earlier town council candidate forum, Hartman vowed to listen to residents. She spoke about finding compromise with others and about changing how the town approaches problem-solving. 

On Election Night, Hartman wrote that she was excited to get to work. She added: “Congratulations to Jessica, whom I am thrilled to work alongside for the next four years. Thank you to Braxton for his service to the town. And, thank you to Tony for running a great race.”

Earlier in the night, Arico spoke about his reason for entering the council race. He said he ran because he loves Barrington and felt that it was important the council race was contested.

“It’s too important,” he said. “I didn’t want it to be a walk-in.

“I worked hard and I talked to a lot of people. I care about the town.”

Proposed charter changes

Voters approved two of the four charter change questions. Question Six, which shifts the signature requirement for proposing budget amendments, passed 56.4 percent to 43.6 percent. Question Seven, which dictates how the winning budget is selected, passed by a 57.4 percent to 42.6 percent margin. 

Questions Eight and Nine both failed. Question Eight would have limited each voter to a single proposed amendment, and Question Nine called for the municipal budget to be shifted to a bottom line budget. The municipal budget will remain a line item budget, voters decided.