HATFIELD — There are few contested races in Tuesday’s annual town election, though a seat on the Select Board is up for grabs.
Three candidates are in the running to fill Selectman Marcus J. Boyle’s position after he left in February for personal reasons. They include Cindy Doty, director of the Emergency Management Planning Committee, Francis Gougeon, a Finance Committee member and resident Gerald Gower.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Doty said in April her biggest priority was finding ways to save the town money, including reevaluating the city’s Hampshire Council of Governments membership and the Community Preservation Act tax rate.
“I’m fiscally conservative but less conservative on social issues,” Doty said.
Gougeon, the former schools superintendent who has also served on several boards, said he’d like to improve efficiencies in Town Hall.
“I’d like to take a look at the operation of town departments and town hall offices,” he said.
Gower said he was looking for a way to get more involved in local government.
“The people here are terrific and the traditions are outstanding,” Gower said.
Assessor: Incumbent Scott McCoy faces former assessor Christopher Smith.
In candidate statements on Hatfield Community TV, McCoy touted his experience working at Fortune 500 companies Staples and Blue Rhino, and how he now works as general manager for a Hatfield fertilizer company.
He is on the recreation committee, where he said the committee was able to bring back the softball field behind Center School, bring back an all-day summer camp and make website improvements.
Smith said he’s served on the Industrial Development Commission, the Cultural Council and the Open Space Committee, also working on two Hatfield master plans. He also served as assessor until 2012.
“Regardless of whether or not I become elected as your next assessor, I am happy to help any Hatfield resident at no charge if they feel their property has not been properly assessed,” he told Community TV.
He also said he was proud of helping save the Center School as a member of the Redevelopment Authority, which will soon be converted into senior condominiums.
Smith said in an interview he would advocate for more transparency in the assessor’s office, something he said the current board lacks by not posting full property assessment records online.
Treasurer-Collector: The other contested race is for treasurer and collector, where Michael Paszek faces incumbent Laura Lee Drouin-Bertram. Kerry Flaherty is also running for the job as a write-in candidate.
Full candidate statements are available on Hatfield Community TV’s YouTube Channel.
Jack Suntrup can be reached at jsuntrup@gazettenet.com.