GRANBY — Two candidates are contending for one Select Board seat in Granby’s annual Town Election on Monday, with incumbent Stephen Chojnacki challenged by Jennifer Silva.
Current Select Board Chairman Stephen Chojnacki, 63, said that, if reelected, he plans to focus on “the infrastructure that needs to be consistently talked about,” such as schools, Dufresne Park and dams.
Chojnacki highlighted improvements to the Granby Junior-Senior High School building, including roof repairs and other structural upgrades, and the possibility of converting West Street Elementary School, which closed in 2018, into Town Hall offices if Granby is able to secure state funding. Granby currently operates its town government out of the same building as the Senior Center.
Chojnacki said that he also hopes to advocate for preserving the Forge Pond Dam, which the state Office of Dam Safety deemed a significant hazard in poor condition, placing its future in question.
The pond is “a resource for a lot of fishermen,” Chojnacki said, as well as an ecological site. Without the dam, Chojnacki said the pond could revert to a swamp-like site.
At a special Town Meeting in February, voters elected to allocate $25,000 toward removing trees and woody vegetation around the dam and accompanying dike, which Chojnacki said is needed in order to properly assess the dam.
Chojnacki has served on the Select Board for three years. He is a retired police officer, deputy sheriff and Springfield teacher and currently works part-time at a liquor store. He received a teaching degree from Westfield State University and also holds a culinary arts degree.
Jennifer Silva is challenging Chojnacki in her second official run for Select Board. She also ran as a write-in candidate in 2016.
Silva, 41, said via email that she sees a “‘what we have always done’ mentality” in town, which she hopes to change.
“As a community, we have become polarized and disillusioned with our elected officials,” she wrote. “Strides have been made in rectifying this, but there is still a long way to go.”
Silva also emphasized a need to increase the town’s business revenue and improve communication and transparency between town government and residents.
“I believe that my background makes me better qualified to understand the steps that need to be taken to get Granby on the path we want to be on which is financially stable and fiscally responsible,” Silva wrote.
“To do that, we need to start attracting business to our town,” she added. “Understanding how to market to potential new businesses that will complement the small town feel of Granby is imperative.”
Silva holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and worked primarily in banking and sales. She currently works for The Collaborative for Educational Services as a Site-Coordinator, where she worked to establish an after-school STEM program for Granby elementary students.
Silva also serves as the clerk of the Granby Community Access and Media Board of Directors and has volunteered with the Granby Public Schools Strategic Planning Committee and Emergency Operations Task Force.
Current Board of Assessors member William D. Porter, III, is running unopposed for a three-year term, while Gary L. Aldrich, William E. Johnson and Keri-Ann Wenzel are competing for one two-year term on the board.
No other races are contested.
A sample ballot can be viewed on the town of Granby’s website. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Granby Junior-Senior High School. Voters may also file for an absentee ballot at the Town Clerk’s office before 5 p.m. on Friday.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.