Candidate profiles -Salisbury

Board of Selectmen

Jim Dresser, Democrat

Office being sought: Selectman

Age: 69

Number of years in town: 24 years full time

Profession: Retired management consultant

Up to five boards and/or commissions served on (and in what capacity) in the past five years: Board of Selectmen, 2005 to present; Planning and Zoning Commission, 2003 to 2005

If elected, what would you change and what would you keep the same? (Response limited to 300 words.) Curtis Rand and I have served as a team for six years and are running for re-election on our record of effective and responsible leadership. If re-elected, I would hope that the volunteers who have made the Town’s successes possible would continue to provide their tireless efforts. Volunteerism and civic engagement provide an important element of Salisbury’s uniqueness. If I could change something, I would ask those who disagree with the initiatives of our elected and volunteer leaders to serve on town committees and attend public meetings so that we can hash out our differences and move forward. It’s this kind of commitment and active involvement that brings about positive change. The “politics of nope” cannot provide the leadership we need to improve Salisbury

Mark A. Lauretano, Republican

Office being sought: Selectman

Age: 55

Number of years in town: 23

Profession: Retired state trooper; entrepreneur

Up to five boards and/or commissions served on (and in what capacity) in the past five years: As the chief law enforcement officer in Salisbury, the State Police regulations did not allow me to run for elected offices on boards, commissions or for Board of Selectmen. However, I did serve for three years on the Bissell Fund, the Scenic Road Committee and for three years as head coach of Salisbury Youth Hockey.

If elected, what would you change and what would you keep the same? (Response limited to 300 words.) I want to change the current decision-making process on our Board of Selectmen, which appears too often to occur either behind closed doors or else with minimal or no advance notice, public debate or input.

Revising, finalizing and enacting the recently resurrected draft Code of Ethics is another change I want to bring to completion.

I will use my investigative skills and the knowledge gained from my degree in business management to closely examine the annual school and town budgets, as well as recent town financial records in order to identify where the town could have perhaps avoided wasteful spending and better used its monies to the advantage of students and our residents. In Salisbury’s future, cutting unnecessary expenses will be important in controlling taxes while dealing with the loss of various state funding during these difficult financial times.

Finally, I will work to preserve the pastoral charm of our classic New England town.

Curtis Rand, Democrat

Office being sought: First selectman

Age: 60

Number of years in town: 50

Profession: At present, first selectman; professional career in forestry

Up to five boards and/or commissions served on (and in what capacity) in the past five years: Ex-officio on all Salisbury boards and commissions, active participation on SSRRA, TRAC, Scenic Roads, Conservation Commission.

If elected, what would you change and what would you keep the same? (Response limited to 300 words.) To keep a diverse community that includes people of all ages, including young people who want to stay but cannot find jobs or housing. I would try to change the somewhat acrimonious tone that sometimes emerges in discussions about town affairs; it is counterproductive and causes unnecessary stress. This does not mean that we should stop the lively dialogue about local issues, but rather lower the volume a bit.

I would continue to seek ways to keep our young people in Salisbury, and I would work to maintain our tax base and the values that keep our town attractive. These include our schools and recreational programs, our scenic and environmental resources, our dedicated volunteers and our relationships with people who work for and help the town in so many ways. I would continue the work to restore the Amesville Bridge, build a new transfer station, evaluate our sewer system and maintain our infrastructure. I would keep the growth in our annual budget as stable and affordable as possible, while maintaining the bond rating and not skimping on future capital improvements — the goal is steady budgets with no big surprises down the road. I would continue to work in a nonpartisan and inclusive way because we are one town.

Robert M. Riva, Republican

Office being sought: Selectman, petitioning candidate

Age: 52

Number of years in town: 20

Profession: Realtor and selectman

Up to five boards and/or commissions served on (and in what capacity) in the past five years: Salisbury Central School Board of Education, eight years, four of the eight years as chairman of SCS Building Committee(developed capital budget for SCS, oversaw asbestos abatement, new roof and new fuel tank installation);  Zoning Board of Appeals; new Firehouse Building Committee, chairman

If elected, what would you change and what would you keep the same? (Response limited to 300 words.) Improve communication to our residents through the town website. Establish a database of residents who would like to be emailed the minutes of town meetings on a regular basis. I also would like to review the possibility of using issue specific surveys throughout the year to assist in decision making. These survey’s would be an opportunity for residents to express their views, prior to or after town informational meetings. Develop an email system to notify residents of upcoming town meetings in timely manner.

I would keep the same, strong bipartisanship relationship and work effort that my fellow selectmen share. Our current BOS chose not to follow in Washington’s footsteps; instead we have elected to move forward and accomplish tasks and projects for our community. We have improved town buildings and infrastructure in our community. As a bipartisan group we have completed the Grove building with a state grant. As a bipartisan group we have built a new firehouse to support our fire company volunteers, by which we have increased safety for our volunteers and the community. Our cooperation also has assisted with financing for a new ski jump for SWSA and the community, which in the future will increase attendance and generate increased revenue for SWSA and other businesses in town. All of these achievements have been endorsed and supported by your current bipartisan Board of Selectman. The Salisbury residents have also given their overwhelming support for these projects at town meetings.

Region One Board of Education

Michael J. Flint, unaffiliated, petitioning candidate, ballot position 15c

Office being sought: Region One Board of Education

Age: 52

Number of years in town: Born and raised ... in and out a few times ... here for life now.

Profession: Nothing special at this time

Up to five boards and/or commissions served on (and in what capacity) in the past five years: Region One Principal and Assistant Principal Search Committees (2010-11); I have offered service in Salisbury, however I am always turned down

 If elected, what would you change and what would you keep the same? (Response limited to 300 words.) The Region One Board of Education spent tens of thousands of dollars in an effort to find out why two administrators at Housatonic Valley Regional High School had exited their jobs just prior to the beginning of the 2010-11 school year. Controversy occupied the board for the better part of the year while their actual functions took a back seat. I believe one needs to focus on the job at hand as a Region One board member. Board members need to possess the ability to distinguish between that which is the responsibility of the board and the issues that should be handled by the administrators we pay to manage our school system. I have spent the better part of the last four years attending EVERY board meeting. While some were wrapped up in the controversy, myself and other focused individuals committed our time to insure that two new administrators were hired for our high school. I am proud to have served on both of those search committees and believe that our very diverse group of individuals made two extremely wise choices for the future of our high school.

I am familiar with our regional school system and its operations. I understand what a board member’s functions are and will not allow distractions to lead the board away from the job it is obligated to perform. As we continue down the path of an uncertain economy and face level or declining enrollments, it is important that board members stay focused on creating a budget and policies that maintain our level of education and offerings in the Region One system without breaking the bank.

I ask for your confidence to elect me as your Region One board representative from Salisbury.

Scooter Tedder, Democrat

Office being sought: Region One Board of Education

Age: 58

Number of years in town: 58

Profession: Carpentry

Up to five boards and/or commissions served on (and in what capacity) in the past five years: SWSA, member; Board of Assessment Appeals

 If elected, what would you change and what would you keep the same? (Response limited to 300 words.) My first job as Region One representative will be to familiarize myself with the region’s Long Range Plan, the board’s agendas and minutes and the 2011-12 budget. I believe that it is crucial to have this foundation of information in order to know where the board has been and where it has indicated it would like to go. I believe that my greatest initial participation is as a listener, to learn about the ideas and contributions of the numerous players in the region’s educational system. I am the peoples’ representative and, as such, I do not have a specific agenda, either for myself or my political party, as to what should be changed, included or eliminated. I am an independent thinker and would bring a willingness to listen to others’ opinions. To be as informed as possible, I would regularly attend the meetings of both the Salisbury and Region One boards of education. I want to be sure that students are getting the quality education that they need to equip them for their future challenges and opportunities.