DEERFIELD — A win for Jonathan Prosperi in Monday’s election would literally give him a new perspective of Deerfield Board of Selectmen meetings.
Prosperi works for Frontier Community Access Television and makes part of his living filming meetings of several municipal boards, including the selectmen. He is running against incumbent Mark E. Gilmore and fellow challenger Henry Komosa for a three-year seat on the board.
Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Town Hall on Monday.
Prosperi, 25, said he is running for office because he wants to be civically active and he feels he could make a positive change.
“I’m throwing my hat into the ring because I have gone to all the meetings and I know a lot of about the town,” he said. “This is an opportunity to get involved and make a difference.”
He said another FCAT employee will be assigned to film selectmen’s meetings if he wins, though he can still film other types of meetings.
Prosperi also works as a substitute teacher at Frontier Regional High School.
He said his top priority would be addressing the town’s 10-year plan.
“Right now, the 10-year plan, honestly, has nothing to do with where the town is realistically right now,” he said. “If we don’t know where we’re going, we’re going to go around in circles, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Prosperi said he also wants to regrow the town’s population, bring in new businesses, and recapture the youth leaving the area by making it more appealing to students and recent graduates of UMass.
He said Deerfield took a hit with the establishment of Interstate 91 because people can now bypass the town. He said wants to revitalize Deerfield as a “hub between hubs,” situated near Greenfield, Amherst and Northampton.
He said his experience as an Eagle Scout and a college graduate could help him as a selectmen. He told The Recorder he studied philosophy and political theory at SUNY Binghamton.
“I’m in love with the idea of democracy,” he said.