Dartmouth voters on Tuesday returned Shawn McDonald to his seat on the Select Board, elected John Haran to fill the seat left vacant by John George's resignation, and rejected an $8.5 million proposal to renovate the Dartmouth police station.

McDonald, who ran uncontested for the second time, said he is excited about his next term. “I appreciate the voters. I appreciate that no one ran against me,” he said. “I like to look at it that I’m doing a good job and people recognize that.”

Haran, a member of the Finance Committee, and Planning Board Chair Joel Avila were vying for the seat vacated by George, who is serving a 70-month prison sentence after being found guilty of embezzlement from the taxpayer-subsidized Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA).

Haran defeated Avila by just 109 votes, winning with 52 percent of the total. Despite some anxiety throughout the day, Haran said he was satisfied with the turnout in such a tight race.

In spite of his loss, Avila said he was thankful for the enthusiasm that propelled his campaign: “Thank you to my family, thank you to the voters and everyone who helped my campaign."

A total of 52% of voters rejected a proposed $8.5 million renovation to the 249 Russells Mills Road police headquarters. The station was closed in 2014 when bacterium legionella was found in the hot water system after an officer became ill. Since then, officers have operated out of a modular building located on the property.

The station renovation would have been funded by a Proposition 2½ "debt exclusion," which would have allowed taxes to be increased above the state-mandated limit until the town repaid the money it borrowed to pay for the renovation -- approximately 20 years. The project was projected to add $36 to the annual tax bill for a home valued at $280,000.

In the only other contested race, incumbents John L. Nunes and Chris Oliver were returned to the School Committee. Oliver topped the vote tally with 39 percent, followed by Nunes with 36 percent of the vote, and newcomer Kyle Ross with 23 percent.

“I think I’ve done a good job the past three years with the committee and I had a lot of people come up to me in the last week to express their support,” said Oliver, who is entering his second term. “I’m very pleased. I look forward to working on the School Committee and working with my colleagues for the next three years.”

Nunes, who has served on the School Committee since 1990, congratulated his opponents.

Ross considered his campaign successful for his "first time around in Dartmouth, being a newer resident in town,” he noted. “Congratulations to the two candidates who won, they’re both very qualified and they will do a good job.”

Ross said that running again is not outside the realm of possibility. “I keep my options open.”

Turnout for the election was low, a fact with which many candidates expressed disappointment.

Nunes remarked on the low voter turnout, saying: “I understand because of the weather yesterday and because of everything as cold as it was."

According to Town Clerk Lynn Medeiros, only 11 percent of registered Dartmouth voters cast ballots -- a sharp contrast with the 40 percent who voted in the March presidential primary.