ASHFIELD — When voters take to the polls in this year’s town election, they will decide the fate of a contested race for a three-year Selectboard seat in which incumbent Todd Olanyk is facing off against political newcomer Don Finn.
Polls will be open on Saturday, May 2, from 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Town Hall.
Todd Olanyk
Olanyk, 60, is a 12-year member of the Selectboard and currently works as the Central District supervisor for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. He said he’d like to see the Selectboard and town continue to be fiscally responsible, and although the board would like to spend more money on its highways, schools and emergency services, he “also knows the townspeople would struggle with taxes rising beyond the rate of appreciating values of their property and our [Proposition 2½ levy] limit.”
“We’ve never come to the town asking for any tax overrides, and we don’t intend to operate that way,” Olanyk said.
He said Ashfield has a never-ending list of infrastructure projects to accomplish, including five bridge repair projects for which the town has received state funding. Other projects on Olanyk’s radar include two municipal solar projects that are expected to significantly reduce the town’s energy bills, as well as a $2 million retaining wall at the recreation field. The town has about half of the funding allocated.
Olanyk said he was “originally asked to join the Selectboard to provide leadership stability,” but he had been interested for a long time beforehand. His uncle had served on Whately’s Selectboard for more than a decade and his grandfather was an assessor in Sunderland, so he “grew up with an awareness of the importance of public service.”
Don Finn
Finn, 74, a 50-year resident of Ashfield, said he’s running to give “the retired taxpayer and residents a stronger voice in town government.”
“Affordability today for all of us has gone crazy,” Finn said. “Heath insurance, utilities, property taxes, rent and the cost of food alone have made it hard for many to financially survive. We as a town need to look into alternative sources for revenue.”
Finn and his wife raised three children who attended Sanderson Academy. Today, he’s strongly opposed to regionalization for both the Mohawk Trail Regional School District’s elementary schools, as well as the Fire and Police departments.
What sparked his interest in running for Selectboard, he said, was a desire to “stop being complacent.” If elected, he said he wants to open up all channels of communication “between not just the [Selectboard], but also with all our committees.”
“Our town zoning regulations need some reviewing and updating,” he added. “I would work with the [Zoning Board of Appeals] on those issues.”
Finn said he’s someone who has always been known to look at the bigger picture. Should he be elected, he said he would work with those who feel, like him, that keeping Sanderson Academy open is “critical,” and he would be a big supporter of Ashfield’s town employees, who he calls “some of the most caring employees we could ever have.”
Other positions
In addition to Selectboard, there is a contested race for seats on the Park Commission, with three candidates running for two seats with three-year terms. Incumbents Ricki Carroll and Nathaniel Russell are running for reelection, while new candidate Jennifer Pease has thrown her hat in the ring, too. Carroll currently serves as chair of the Park Commission.
Another contested race is for a five-year term as a Belding Memorial Library trustee. Wendy Keyser and Rachel Wang, both of whom are new candidates rather than incumbents, are vying for the position.
A contested race also exists for a one-year term as library trustee. Again, no incumbents are running, and Wang is a candidate for the one-year position as well. Victoria Gravel is the other candidate seeking election to the one-year term.
The uncontested races are as follows:
- Moderator, one-year term — Stewart “Buz” Eisenberg, incumbent.
- Board of Assessors, three-year term — George Stephan, incumbent.
- Board of Health, three-year term — Jennifer Williams, incumbent.
- Constable, three-year term — Brian Dickinson.
- Finance Committee, two seats with three-year terms — Paul Lacinski and Laura Pitter, both incumbents.
- Planning Board, three-year term — Robert Carlton.
- Sewer Commission, three-year term — Eric Lehan.
