Font ResizePEPPERELL -- Town clerk and School Committee are the only contested races on the local ballot this spring--but those two offices are being sought by a total of 11 candidates.
The race for North Middlesex School Committee will pit incumbent and board Chairman Arnold "Arnie" Silva against three challengers -- Jonna Clermont, James Burson and John Marriner.
A call to Silva requesting comment was not returned by press time, but both Clermont and Marriner expressed strong concerns about where the district is going, both financially and with talk of expanding to include Lunenburg.
"I am not happy with business-as-usual and I think we can do better," said Clermont.
A guidance counselor by trade who has two children in the schools, Clermont said North Middlesex has issues with both leadership and efficiency, saying that detracts from offering the best education to students.
Specifically, Clermont took issue with Superintendent of Schools Maureen Marshall splitting time between two districts, asking "how can you have a leader that's not full time?" She also targeted a general increase of administrators in recent years, saying the budget needs a line-by-line review to eliminate wasteful spending and preserve programs and teachers.
On the question of adding Lunenburg, Clermont said that smaller schools are generally better for education, adding the move was unlikely to save money, and that the focus should be on the classrooms -- not getting
Clermont, who works at a middle school in Westford, credited Pepperell for showing great support for the school system, but added the district needs to get its budget in order before seeking additional funds.
"The unemployment rate in Pepperell has doubled and we can't keep asking for overrides year after year," she said. "I really want to represent the ideas and concerns of the taxpayers."
Similarly, Marriner listed financial concerns as a key reason for running, saying town departments are being asked to tighten their belts while the schools continue to give five-percent raises. He also valued teachers over administrators, adding he's unconvinced by talk of regionalizing with Lunenburg, saying the move would likely cost millions and he hasn't seen a good reason for doing it.
"I would like to see where that money is going to go, where we're going to get it," he said. "We can' t just keep raising taxes that won' t fly with people on fixed incomes."
Marriner, who is already on the Board of Health, said he' s not planning to spend money or put out signs for this campaign. Instead, he said this was a case of trying to get involved, instead of sitting in some coffee house, complaining about what's going on.
"I'm not crazy about what they're spending, so I'm doing something about it," he said. Calls to Burson seeking comment were not returned by press time.
The ballot will also feature a seven-way race to determine a successor for Town Clerk Lois Libby, who is stepping aside as 26 years as Pepperell's town clerk. The challengers are Deborah Carney, Meagan Colburn, Deborah Nutter, Emilie Presnall, Jeff Sauer, Bonnie Shattuck and Deborah Simard.
Elsewhere, Board of Selectmen Chairman Joe Sergi is running unopposed for another three-year term. On the Planning Board, Nicholas Cate did not file paperwork for another five-year term, but the position is being sought by a candidate named Anna MacDonald.
The remainder of the races are uncontested. Two seats are up on the Board of Health, where incumbent John Marriner is seeking another three-year term, while Alfred Buckley is pursuing a two-year term, after being appointed to fill an un-expired term. Library trustees Charles Burnham and Schuyler Minkler will both seek an additional three-year term, as will Recreation Commissioner David Priddle and Assessor Michael Coffey.
On the Housing Authority, Katherine Harris will seek another five-year term, while James Triehy will seek a two-year seat
The election will take place on Monday, April 26.
