ORANGE — James Cornwell says taxpayers have relayed their concerns to him for the past few years. Now, he hopes to address those concerns on the Orange Board of Selectmen.
Cornwell is challenging incumbent Kathy Reinig for a three-year seat. The annual town election is scheduled for March 6.
“As most everyone knows, Orange is facing problems in many areas,” Cornwell said. “My personal opinion is that it appears the addressing of some problems is agenda-driven.
“Personal agendas have no place in the problems we have in Orange,” he continued. “The main focus should be the taxpayers and how each and every decision affects them.”
Cornwell was born in Gardner and raised in Orange, graduating from Mahar Regional High School in 1960, making him something of an “old-school guy,” as he puts it. He said he had various careers, including 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and working on the road with NASCAR race teams, before moving back to Orange in 2002. He is the chairman of the Trustees of the Soldiers’ Memorial and the vice chairman of the Orange Cemetery Commission.
“My vision of the future of Orange reflects a list of many projects that will definitely help the town. Prioritizing the list and developing a sound financial program will be important to any project,” he said. “We need to be very efficient and responsible in our spending of the money entrusted to us by the taxpayers. This includes accountability — for budgets, decisions, conflict resolution, and personal opinions.”