Montague Selectboard candidates discuss key issues at forum

MONTAGUE — Nathanael Card Schiffbauer and John Miles Snyder, both vying for a seat on the Selectboard, met for a candidates forum on Tuesday to share their thoughts on the key issues in town government, the possibility of a new library, the five-town or six-town school regionalization proposal, and more.

Card, 41, who goes by Nate Card, has been in the Pioneer Valley since 2003 after relocating from Michigan, and has lived in Montague for just over a year. He’s a senior resilience planner at Regenerative Design Group, based in Greenfield. Though he had wanted to run for elected office for some time, he said he decided it was time to run for Selectboard after attending an information session about the proposed new library, where he found out no one had pulled nomination papers for the open seat.

Snyder, 39, who is originally from Buffalo, New York, first came to Montague in 2019. He is the chief operating officer of 253 Farmacy on Millers Falls Road in Turners Falls. He said he decided to run for Selectboard after speaking to fellow residents and, seeing that there was an open spot, he felt compelled to serve.

Issues in town government

The candidates were asked 12 prepared questions, with some audience questions taken at the end. One of the first questions was what they see as key strengths in Montague and its government.

Card responded that “there’s a lot to love about Montague,” sharing his appreciation for the representative town government, its relationship with state leadership, the diverse cultural scene, and the work by RiverCulture and the Department of Public Works.

Snyder said the town has a lot of “heart and potential,” pointing out the historic villages, the Connecticut River, and the growing arts and culture scene. He added that the current government shows strength in its leadership and financial practices.

In a similar vein, Card and Snyder were asked what key issues they’ve seen in Montague, or in town government, that need more help.

Snyder said he sees the rising cost of health insurance compared to limited revenue streams, aging infrastructure and declining school enrollment as one of the keys issues the town is facing. He said he wants to see continued communication between departments to make sure there’s value coming out of every tax dollar.

Card noted issues involving climate change, rural inequity when it comes to state regulations, and limited civic participation and open seats on town boards. He said these issues could be addressed with continued engagement with state officials, greater community outreach and by framing town government as a cultural activity.

In terms of the role that the Selectboard should play in handling the day-to-day complaints of citizens, Snyder said the town administrator and department heads handle complaints, but the Selectboard should always be aware of what is being brought up by citizens and whether those issues have been resolved.

“My experience working with town departments has taught me that clear communication and accountability make all the difference, and I would ensure that whatever tracking systems we use for complaints are in place and are working effectively to get residents consistent, timely responses,” Snyder said, pulling from his experience working with the town in previous matters.

Card said he sees the role of Selectboard in a generalist perspective, and that his interest is in hearing what the issues are and helping to connect residents to those who are best suited to offer assistance. He added that complaints can be part of what informs the priorities of the Selectboard.

“There are many components that will go into informing those priorities, but I think having an active ear out for those complaints is really important as we’re trying to shape decisions, or make decisions that are attending to the needs of people that we represent,” Card explained.

Views on the new library, school regionalization

The candidates were both asked about some of the biggest propositions coming before voters this year, which include the debt-exclusion vote on the new $23.7 million library proposed for 38 Avenue A and the regional agreement vote to establish either a five-town or a six-town regional school district that would merge the Pioneer Valley and Gill-Montague regional school districts, as well as possibly the Warwick school.

Snyder shared that, as a parent with children who will soon attend school in Montague, the regionalization idea is an important issue to him. He said he supports voters getting a say on this proposal, and that, “given the long-term statistics on school-age children in Montague, to me, it seems like it would be the best course of action.”

Card said he is not a parent, but he is supportive of the regionalization idea based on the information he has regarding the proposition. He said he wants to make sure children have the opportunities to reach their full potential, and he wants to hear from the students about how they feel about the future of their education.

As for the new library, both candidates shared their support for the proposal. With approval from Annual Town Meeting members last weekend, the $23.7 million library project is heading to the ballot box. The town can appropriate the project cost contingent upon a townwide debt-exclusion vote set for June 24.

Snyder said his family members are patrons of the Montague Public Libraries, and he’s spoken to its staff about the proposal, noting that the existing Carnegie Public Library is outdated, but a community asset. He said the new library would be a nice “capstone” to Turners Falls, with a bonus that the state plans to reimburse close to half the cost.

“Now that it’s going to a townwide vote, I look forward to hearing more from residents, and if it does pass the vote, making sure we balance the project with other capital needs,” Snyder said.

Card is also in support of the new library, noting he was inspired to run for office after speaking in support of the library at the info session. He said he sees libraries as “essential to a thriving democracy,” and while he recognizes the economic concern residents have about the increased tax bills, he urged residents to “think less in the scarcity mindset” and act on the opportunity that can support the community “as times get tougher.”

“It’s not an easy decision to make, but we can do this together,” Card said.

Other topics

Some residents asked questions about health insurance, the split tax rate, community building and emergency medical services.

When asked if the candidates believe the Montague Police Department should collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Card said no, and remarked that “ICE is essentially a terrorist organization.”

“I would like to see as much disruption to ICE as possible,” Card said. “I don’t know that that’s something that we should put on the police chief.”

As for Snyder, he said that this is a “hot-button, delicate issue,” and it’s not the first instance of a town bringing up the discussion. He shared how the PROTECT Act is moving through the state Legislature, and he thinks it’s going to “eliminate a lot of the confusion” around how local law enforcement agencies interact with federal authorities. He also agreed with Card in having to see how the police chief feels on the matter.

Moderator Ariel Elan helped offer some clarity on how Montague Police Chief Jason Haskins had addressed these concerns in a community discussion she attended.

“I’ve heard our current police chief present on this, and even before the PROTECT Act, he understands state law to have some very clear lines, and the PROTECT Act will help define state policy even better,” Elan said.

Montague’s town election will take place on Tuesday, May 19, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in all six precincts. The town website has a list of voting locations and sample ballots for each precinct, which can be accessed at montague-ma.gov/p/240/Montague-Town-Elections. Additionally, the full candidates forum can be viewed at vimeo.com/mctvchannel17/videos.