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10/17/2017 12:00 AMOn Tuesday, Nov. 7, Clinton voters will have a chance to cast their vote for many municipal positions in Clinton, including the members Board of Selectmen (BOS). The board is made up four selectmen in addition to the first selectman. Four candidates are running for four seats, but they will also compete with the unsuccessful candidates for first selectmen. The highest four vote-getters among them will be seated on the board.
Republican Carol Walter was the only incumbent to survive the primary election last month and remain on the ballot, meaning the BOS will have a much different look in 2018 than the current iteration.
Candidates for first selectman were profiled in last week’s issues. Those profiles, with profiles on all candidates who’ve chosen to participate in our Online Voters Guide, along all Harbor News political letters, and elections coverage, can be found at Zip06.com/election.
Democrat Tim Guerra
Tim Guerra is an endorsed member of the Democratic ticket and received 597 votes in the primary. Currently, Guerra is a member of the Planning & Zoning Commission. When asked why he wanted to run, Guerra said “The reason I’m running is that I believe in Christine and Jack,” referring to his ticket-mates, first selectman candidate Christine Goupil and selectman candidate Jack Scherban. “I’ve worked with Christine for eight years and seen how she prepares herself for meetings. I believe she is eminently qualified to be first selectman.”
Guerra believes his sales background in the business world has helped prepare him for his role on the BOS. “I have 50 years of business experience running a $27 million territory,” Guerra said.
Asked what changes he’d like to see the town make, Guerra said “I think economic development is of the utmost importance.” Guerra said the BOS needs “be aggressive in seeing” opportunities for development. “We have to market the town,” Guerra said.”
“I think everyone is concerned about taxes,” Guerra added. “We need to offset the taxes we have here.”
Democrat Jack Scherban
Jack Scherban is the current chairman of the Board of Finance. Scherban was endorsed for the Democratic ticket and received 633 votes in the Primary E lection.
“I’ve lived in town for 43 years, and I wanted to give time back to the town,” Scherban said . “I had three kids go through the system.”
Scherban, who worked in the banking industry, believes that experience has prepared him for his role on the board.
“I think I’m right for the job because of my experience in the business world, my two plus years on the Board of Finance, and my knowledge of the condition of the town’s finances,” Scherban said.
Scherban said he would like to see an increased focus on economic development.
“I’d like to get a budget where the mill rare decreases, but there’s more economic development,” Scherban said, listing the Unilever site, the Old Morgan School, and the brownfield sites in town as places to start.
Republican Phil Sengle
Phil Sengle, a current member of the Board of Police Commissioners, successfully challenged the endorsed Republican ticket to get on the November ballot. Sengle received 491 votes.
“I didn’t like how the town was being run. I think people on the BOS had agendas,” Sengle said of his choice to run. “I didn’t like how they treated the new police chief.”
Sengle said voters should know he has “no entanglements.”
“If they want good governance, I have the right kind of experience,” said Sengle, who has experience both as an engineer and in the sales and corporate world. “It taught me budgets, and how to treat customers with respect.”
Asked what changes he wants to bring to Clinton, Sengle said, “I’m in favor of transitioning to the town manager style of government,” and added that he would like to “supercharge” the Economic Development Commission (EDC).
“I want to give the EDC resources to go seek businesses,” Sengle said.
Republican Carol Walter
Carol Walter is the only incumbent who ran in the primary who received enough votes to remain on the ballot in November. Walter received 365 votes. Walter believes it’s this experience that made her an asset to the town.
“The experience of my eight years I’ve already served is invaluable,” Walter said.
Walter noted the experience she has already on the BOS compared with the lack of experience the other candidates have.
“If you’re on a ship and the captain is knocked overboard, you wouldn’t want someone with no experience sailing,” Walter said.
Walter said her background as a self-employed person prepared her for her role in town government. “Everything I’ve ever had I had to work for,” Walter said.
Walter said this prepared her to be conservative, fiscally.
“I don’t want the town to spend a nickel more than we have to,” Walter said.
For changes she’d like to make in her next term, Walter said she’d like to see a consolidation of services.
“I’d like to coordinate so as not to duplicate services and duplicate costs to the town,” Walter said.
Another change she’d like to see is to have more people “take pride in the town” and stop “poking at each other.”