Final candidate speaks on April election
Published on March 1st, 2006
With 22 contenders for public office, a non-binding trash referendum question, and a debt exclusion proposal sitting on the ballot, Town Clerk John Hanright expects a huge turnout at this April's election.
According to the Town Clerk, the sheer volume of choices available for voters will likely result in the need for two separate ballot sheets this year. And based upon the remarkable voter turnout at the summer special election on the override question two years ago, Hanright believes he may have to order an estimated 10,000 ballots.
Similarly having their hands full this election year, the Stoneham Chamber of Commerce will hold a candidates forum on March 22 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. And with 22 challengers submitting paperwork for open seats in eight elected boards and offices, the regular election-year event will be a little more packed than in years packed.
Perhaps making both Hanright and the Chamber of Commerce's tasks just a little easier to manage, Whittemore Lane resident Kathleen Holland again announced her withdrawal from the School Committee race this week.
Last week, Holland also decided to pull her candidacy from the ticket, but reportedly changed her mind the day after, according to Hanright. During a phone interview this Tuesday night, the Whittemore Lane resident - who had a recent death in the family - commented that the timing just wasn't right for her.
"I officially went up [to the Town Clerk's office] today and withdrew. I did it for the reasons we had already spoken about," Holland said.
Although Holland has reportedly pulled-out of the School Committee race, Newcomb Road resident Heidi Kelf, who was unavailable last week, reaffirmed that she will be running for one of the two open-seats on the Board of Selectmen this April.
Speaking a little about her candidacy early this week, Kelf answered a few questions from The Stoneham Independent.
SI: What factors led to your decision to run for office?
Kelf: I feel like we're [the average citizens] are not being listened to and that the process seems so insular. When you talk to the average people, they almost feel marginalized. I think that's where I can step up, so people don't feel like that and can have more pride in the town.
SI: What do you see as the single largest issue facing the town?
Kelf: We need new sources of revenue and I think we need to ensure were coming up with a spending plan that's fair to all demographics. I've been tying to come up with all the ideas I can to avoid floating a bond for additional revenue streams. This is a great town, but we are in [financial crisis].
SI: Outside of the town's budget constraints, what do you see as the largest issue facing Stoneham?
Kelf: I think we need to be more responsive. I've talked to a lot of residents and business owners and ironically, their concerns are very similar. A lot of business owners said the only way they could open up their store fronts was by being tenacious. And a lot of residents complain about getting information and finding out when the meetings are so they can get involved. So I think we can be more responsive and I see missed opportunities.
SI: Would you support a trash fee, debt exclusion, or override to offset the FY07 deficit?
Kelf: The voters are going to decide that [the debt exclusion]. I like a pay-as-you-throw trash program because there is certainly an issue with the fairness of the trash fee. And I think there's a lot of things we can do to bring in revenue besides raising taxes.
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!