DURHAM

There are four people vying for two three-year terms on the board, with only one incumbent member seeking re-election. Two candidates are seeking to finish out a one year term left vacant by a resignation.

Election of four candidates to the board of selectmen will be decided at the polls Friday, March 31 at Durham Community School. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Three year term candidates

• Incumbent Michael Stewart, 32, has served one three-year term on the board, and said he is not yet finished with the work because he wants to focus on the public works department and the poor condition of the town’s roads. Stewart, who has a background in supervising construction and works for the Lisbon sewer department, said he has a strong background to oversee town operations relating to public works. Stewart said expenditures for new equipment, including three dump trucks, a backhoe and an excavator, and the additional purchase of a building to house the equipment, was a big price tag for the town. With that in mind, he understands why residents are upset they still have to drive at a crawling pace when traveling on town roads. He said fresh eyes and ideas concerning the town’s budget challenges from candidates seeking election to the board will be a welcomed change.

• Kevin J. Nadeau, who serves on the budget committee, has prior experience in town government, having been appointed to various committees by the board in his 18 years in town. As chairman of the comprehensive plan committee, Nadeau said working on that board highlighted the need to focus on a longer term vision for the town, looking ahead at what is wanted for three, five, and ten years in the future, and how to be proactive and address issues. Nadeau has worked at L.L. Bean for 20 years in product development and as a business process analyst, and said he has a good skill set for serving on the board.

“Planning for the future needs of a growing town while maintaining a reasonable tax burden is Durham’s biggest challenge. This is especially true in an environment where the State continues to push expenses down to the local level. For example, we need a long term plan for improving our roads that will bring them up to satisfactory condition as quickly as possible, but at a pace tax payers can handle,” he said in a written statement.

• Todd Beaulieu, a business contractor who has lived in Durham since childhood, said he is running for a three-year term on the board because he wants to increase tax revenue by being more amenable to businesses and residential subdivisions, as well as cut taxes in certain areas to lessen the financial burden on residents. Beaulieu has served on the planning board since 2003, and said he has enjoyed the wors. Describing himself as fiscally conservative, he said he fears the town will lose residents because of high taxes.

Attempts to speak with candidate Scott Farling were unsuccessful by press time.

One-year term candidates

• Richard W. George has lived in Durham since 2003, and said although he has not held public office before, he wants to become more involved in his community. He has experience in project and business management, owning nine businesses in the state focusing on restaurant acquisitions and property development. He previously served in the Navy as a medic.

In an email, George said: “I am interested in helping serve the community in a time of many changes. I do not have an agenda for what I want for the community, but am focused on doing what the community feels is best for all of us. I would like to see a financially strong community that has opportunities for both the young and older population. I feel my background in business will help in making this possible.”

• Barry Baldwin, a lifetime logger and excavator, has served in municipal government for about ten years, including previous terms on the select board, the conservation commission, and the planning board. Baldwin said he is seeking election to the board to finish a term left vacant by a resignation, because he was contacted by several people in town who encouraged him to run.

“I like to stay involved in town business… and I love this town,” he said of his decision to run again. Baldwin would like to focus on reducing the Regional School Unit 5 budget, which he said the town does not have enough control over considering the municipality contributes most of its tax money to funding the district.

jlaaka@timesrecord.com

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