ORANGE — Five ballot candidates are vying for two Selectboard seats made vacant by departing members earlier this year.
Alexandre Abade Schwanz and Sean MacDonald are competing for the 22-month spot vacated by Mike Bates because of time constraints, while David Ames, Denise Andrews and George Hunt are running for the 10 months remaining on the term Andrew Smith was elected to before stepping down to become assistant town clerk.
Polls will be open in Town Hall’s Ruth B. Smith Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, May 4.
Alexandre Abade Schwanz
Schwanz, 30, previously served a term on the Selectboard but declined to run for reelection after enrolling in Boston College Law School, where he graduated in 2024. He has been a trial attorney for the federal government for two years.
“I appreciated the opportunity to serve,” he said of his previous tenure. “It was a great time and I appreciate the trust that people put in me. It was a tough time, with the pandemic. It was a very divided board at the time.”
Schwanz, who has lived in Orange since about 2014, said the town’s taxes keep increasing, without much to show for it.
“I haven’t seen any improvements in the town,” he said in an interview, adding that the roads are plagued with potholes and the water quality should be higher.
He also mentioned there is no trash collection service despite the considerable tax burden.
Schwanz said he would like to streamline the permitting process to help bring businesses to the downtown area and reduce the number of empty storefronts.
Sean MacDonald
MacDonald, in a candidates forum on Thursday night, said he has lived in town for nearly six years and has two grandchildren in the public school system.
“Schools are something that’s very important to me, because … two of my granddaughters just started kindergarten this year, so they’re in the very beginning stages of school,” he said, “and I want nothing more for them [than] to get a great education. So I would definitely love to collaborate with the schools and all the committees and see what it is that we can do to help improve the situation for them and the town.”
He also said he wants to make Orange more attractive to businesses.
The Greenfield Recorder’s efforts to reach MacDonald for an interview were unsuccessful.
David Ames
Ames, 72, served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years and settled in Orange in 1987. He previously served on the Selectboard for three years and was once Orange’s community development director. He was also the first town administrator in Shutesbury and then the first-ever town manager in Athol, the latter of which has a town charter. He said this means he would be the only Selectboard member to govern under that type of system.
“I think it works very well,” he said in an interview. “I want to be able to make the charter implementation … as seamless as possible.”
A former Economic Development & Industrial Corporation member when the Randall Pond Industrial Park was established, Ames said he wants to recruit more industry to town “to take the tax burden off the citizens.”
He also wants to improve the town’s road conditions.
“I’m used to the roads in Orange, but I’ve seen what the roads can be in other towns,” he commented.
Denise Andrews
Andrews, 66, is a former state representative and a familiar face at various municipal meetings.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a master’s degree from Xavier University before starting a 25-year career with Procter & Gamble. She later established her own consulting business, Legacy Unlimited.
“I love Orange and am grateful to have been raised here and to have returned with my family in 2009,” Andrews said in a statement. “My love of Orange and engagement with the town was inspired by my parents, Bob and Pat Andrews. Orange is at a defining moment, one where we must build on our strengths while addressing critical challenges in education, affordability, town government, infrastructure, citizen engagement and economic development.”
Andrews said she would like to focus on improving the accountability and accessibility of town government, investing in infrastructure beginning with roads, expanding citizen engagement, using resources effectively to improve student achievement, ensuring fair and equitable assessments, and reducing the tax burden while increasing revenues.
“This moment calls for strong, capable leadership that works in partnership with residents, community stakeholders and investors,” she said in a statement. “We must strengthen our schools, ensure responsible fiscal stewardship, support smart economic development, and build a vibrant, affordable community for all.”
George Hunt
Hunt, 65, is quick to lightheartedly tell people he is not dairy farmer George Hunt, who he lives a mile away from. Instead, he owns Hunt Accounting Services Inc., which handles taxes and municipal auditing.
“I believe that Orange is in quite a transition right now, with the charter coming into place. I just like to think that with my municipal experience in the auditing world, I can hopefully get it in place and implemented in an … efficient manner,” he said in an interview.
Hunt, who grew up in central Vermont and moved to town in 2007, previously served on the Finance Committee and is a current member of the Board of Assessors. He said he would not have to step down from this role if elected to the Selectboard.
He also said he hopes to improve Town Hall’s morale and employee culture.
Hunt spent 14½ years in the U.S. Army, which sent him to the former Fort Devens. He eventually lived in Athol for 20 years before moving to Orange.
Write-in campaign
Although she is not on the ballot, Sandra Fawn Weinstein is running a write-in campaign in hopes of securing the 22-month seat.
“Too many people in our community are feeling the strain of rising costs, from taxes to heating and daily expenses. I believe we can work together to find practical solutions that help people not just survive, but truly thrive,” she wrote in a statement. “If elected, I will focus on transparency, responsible budgeting, and collaborative problem-solving to support residents and strengthen Orange’s future.”
She has been a Finance Committee member since 2024.
“I believe good government starts with listening, is strengthened through action, and remains accountable to the people it serves,” Weinstein said. I ask questions, do the research, listen carefully and follow through — with compassion, purpose and a deep commitment to the people of Orange.”
