CONWAY — Selectboard and Board of Assessors races top Thursday’s election ballot.
With Selectboard member Bob Armstrong not seeking another term, longtime fire chief and one-time Selectboard member Robert Baker is running against Christopher Waldo for the three-year seat.
Meanwhile, Roxanne Parent and Troy Lucier are running for a one-year term on the Board of Assessors.
The election will be held Thursday at Conway Town Hall, 5 Academy Hill Road, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Baker, 73, is running for Selectboard again after spending three years on the board previously. He said he wanted to run because he saw no one was running — that is, until Waldo was nominated at the town caucus — and that his experience over four decades as the fire chief has given him the knowledge to help the town succeed.
“I enjoy working for the town. … I think I know the majority of the people and they all know me, so I might as well throw my hat in,” Baker said. “To be a representative of the townspeople, you’ve got to know more than just saying, ‘I live in Conway.’”
Baker said he is “semi-retired” and he has the time to help the town work through difficulties like getting “more income” to flow into town.
“There’s a lot of things in town that could be looked at a little more seriously and I think the board can spearhead that,” he said, suggesting moving the Town Offices into Town Hall so the town can then sell the building and get it back on the tax rolls. “My type of government is you’ve got to research and make honest decisions.”
Citing his 42 years of experience with an “efficient” Fire Department, Baker said he knows how the town works and that if elected he will work for everyone in town.
“I know how the town runs because I’ve been working with it for 42 years,” Baker said. “It’s not what you can do for me; it’s what you can do for the town as a whole. You’re not there to do one person a favor; you’re there to work with everybody.”
Waldo, 42, is the assistant vice president of field services for QuadGen Wireless and is running for Selectboard after moving to Conway last April. His partner lives in Conway and he has visited many times over the past several years.
“I just wanted to help in any way I could. … It’s about doing my civic duty,” Waldo said. “With my business background, I thought I could be of service.”
Waldo said his priorities are to keep the town’s rural character, while ensuring emergency services are properly maintained.
“It’s about preserving the town as is and making sure we keep the great small-town feel, while providing the services residents need,” he said, adding that Conway, like the rest of the county is an “aging community.” “I want to not only make sure our service plan is up to date and we have good response times, but one huge gap I’ve noticed in this town is the communication gap. … I know our town website is being revamped, but we can still improve our outreach.”
If elected, Waldo said he’d like to improve community participation in town affairs and to ensure the town is spending money in a responsible way.
“The biggest issue is keeping the town running with volunteers. And one of the things people are hesitant about are newcomers coming in. I think people should have open arms to people like me,” he said, adding that “if we’re spending money, it needs to be a long-term investment and not a Band-Aid.”
Parent, a lifelong resident of Conway, is running for the Board of Assessors because she said she has the time to give back to her town.
“Assessing was something I got involved in a couple of years ago when I was researching my own property,” she said.
In running for the Board of Assessors, Parent said she can be a “good candidate” for the town, as she wants to help people understand the assessing process.
“I think my focus in wanting to run is to bring transparency and openness to the office and encourage people to look at their property cards,” Parent said. “I feel I would bring a fresh view and eyes to the board.”
Lucier, a longtime Franklin County resident and husband of Town Clerk Laurie Lucier, said he has volunteered his time at the Transfer Station in the past and wants to give more back to Conway.
“I want to be able to do the best job I can do to help people out,” Lucier said. “I will be as honest as I can and try to be as helpful as I can.”
Lucier is hopeful residents will vote for him so he can continue to help out his town.
“I’m not out to offer any favors,” he said. “I’m just here to offer a person who is trying to do the best job he can do and I don’t think they’ll regret it.”
Other uncontested races on the ballot are as follows:
■Board of Assessors, three-year term — incumbent Natalie Whitcomb.
■Board of Health, two seats with three-year terms — caucus nominees Emily Sweet and Kathy Llamas.
■Frontier Regional School District School Committee, three-year term — caucus nominee Jared Campbell.
■Conway Grammar School Committee, two seats with three-year terms — incumbents Elaine Campbell and Jason Campbell.
■Planning Board, two-year term — caucus nominee George Forcier.
■Planning Board, three-year term — incumbent William Moebius.
■Constable, three seats with three-year terms — incumbents Ronald Hawkes, Brian Blakeslee and James “Jimmy” Recore.
■Town clerk, three-year term — incumbent Laurie Lucier.
■Moderator, one-year term — incumbent James “Jimmy” Recore.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.