Though the town has already allotted $350,000 to build a park at the end of Black Point Road, Scarborough voters Tuesday soundly defeated a referendum question to borrow $975,000 to complete the project.

The park bond went down hard, 2,992-1,349.

In the town council race, Judy Roy, with 2,039 votes, and Mike Wood, with 2,013 votes, defeated four other candidates to take over two, three-year seats. In a special race for a one-year term, incumbent Ron Ahlquist received 3,507 votes, beating out write-in candidate Art Dillon, who received 212.

The school board race for two, three-year seats resulted in the election of John Cole, 2,388 votes, and Brian Dell’Olio, 2,667 votes, defeating Sam Cofone, who received 1,955 votes. With 2,193 votes, Jackie Perry defeated Dianne Messer for a two-year term. Messer received 1,829 votes.

A total of 4,647 residents cast their votes at Scarborough High School.

“It doesn’t get old,” said Perry, who has been on and off the board since the 1970s, about winning.

Cole and Dell’Olio are both first-time school board members.

Cole said he thought the new board was “a good bunch” with a lot of diversity, and said he looks forward to being part of that team.

Dell’Olio, who hopped on his cell phone to spread the news right after it was announced, said he was “very excited” about his victory. He said he had no idea what the outcome would be.

“Once it goes to the voters, that’s it,” he said.

Roy, on the other hand, was confident she would win.

“Hundreds of people walked through here that I knew by name,” she said. “I’m really pleased the people gave me another chance to let me serve them.”

The $350,000 for the park was approved by the town two years ago. However, residents criticized the council last year for spending money on the park before getting approval from voters. Under its charter, the town is required to get voter approval for projects costing more than $400,000. Originally, the park was planned to be built in phases, each costing less than that.

Neighbors of the potential site were also concerned to find the plan for the park included several athletic fields, intense lighting and a loudspeaker. The plan was reworked to be more community friendly after residents gave their input. The $975,000, added to the $350,000, would have paid for the project. Still, some said the new plan wasn’t what they were looking for, and Tuesday’s vote indicated voters were not willing to commit to it.

At Scarborough High School earlier in the day, Virginia Violette said she voted against the park bond.

“We’ve already got a central one,” she said, motioning toward the nearby Memorial Park.

Though Ken Fengler said he is usually in favor of maintaining open space, he did not think Black Point Road would be the best place for a new park.

“I’d rather see it extending into other reaches of Scarborough,” he said.

David Harrington came out specifically to vote against the park. He said it “ticked him off” that the council had originally tried to build the park without bringing it to referendum.

“The town shouldn’t spend money on things it doesn’t need to,” he said.

While a few Scarborough candidates braved the weather to greet voters and open doors, the rest lined up in the entrance of the high school, shaking hands and getting in one last plug before the voters entered the booths.

“We had a better turnout than we anticipated,” said Town Clerk Tody Justice. “It’s been a steady stream.”

Justice said people were waiting for the polls to open as early as 5:30 a.m.

Election Warden Guy Gledhill said he was also pleasantly surprised by the turnout.

“I expected less because of the lack of advertising, the lack of signs and the lack of a big issue,” he said.

Husband and wife William and Frances Greene walked into the polls together, but wished the other hadn’t come.

“We cancel each other out,” said Frances Greene, who tends to vote the opposite way of her husband.

She said she supported a racino in Washington County and would support one coming to Scarborough.

“Gambling is a person’s choice,” she said. “And I wouldn’t have to go to Atlantic City.”

“I said, ‘Stay home and don’t vote,'” William Greene said about his wife.

Laura Nusen supported the racino because she has spent a lot of time in Washington County and has friends who live there.

“They need something,” she said. “The community is so depressed.”

Though Melissa Worcester isn’t necessarily in support of a racino, she said she voted for it anyway.

“It’s going to happen,” she said. “We might as well get it over with.”

Worcester said she usually doesn’t come out to vote, but she wanted to support her friend, Leroy Crockett, in the town council race. “He’s a really good guy,” she said.

Others more adamantly opposed the racino.

Joanne Abrams said she does not think it’s a good way to fund economic development.

“It’s taking money away from people who don’t have a lot already,” she said.

Fengler agreed. He said he feared people who were already in rough financial situations would go to the casino hoping to turn them around and only end up losing more.

Mike Curran said he considered the overall health of the state when voting on the bond questions.

“We’re way over-taxed,” said Curran, who has grown children that would like to live and work in their home state but can’t afford to. He said he signed a petition after leaving the polls to lower excise taxes.

Chris Cinquemani, a volunteer from Road to Cleaner Maine, was trying to get signatures to get a reduction in excise taxes on the ballot. He said he had more than 500 early Tuesday evening. A minimum of 55,000 are needed altogether. According to Cinquemani, as he called out to people to check out the petition, they “were stopping in their tracks” to come back and sign it.

“Excise tax is such a hated tax in Maine,” he said.

Missy Babineau said there were no questions on the ballot that she was particularly concerned about.

“I think it’s just important to come out and be part of the process,” she said, “especially with the weather.”

Gledhill, who has been the election warden in Scarborough since 1984, couldn’t agree more. He said it’s sad that Americans only get a 30 percent voter turnout, where as in other countries “people stand with bullets flying over their heads, and they get 100.”

Gledhill said the town tries to make it as easy as possible by opening up the polls a month before Election Day.

“I think as Americans it’s your obligation and your duty to vote. It’s not just your right,” he said.