Residents met five of nine candidates running for town positions in the Hancock Library Sunday, March 1. Cemetery trustee is the only contested position.
Candidates Peter Webster, Tom Shevenell, Matt Simmons, Ric Haskins and Katherine Closter were present at the event. Sadie Faber, Patricia MacFarlane, David Huntington and Joan Joseph were not.
Simmons and MacFarlane are running for Cemetery Trustee.
Simmons, who is running for re-election, spent his first term digitizing the cemetery’s records. “My focus has been on getting the data into an electronic record-keeping system,” he said. “Eventually, we’ll have all of this information in one place as a permanent record that can be backed up so it’ll never get lost.”
Simmons said the project isn’t complete, but wants it finished by the year’s end.
Webster, who serves on the Budget Advisory Committee, is running for the open Select Board position. After a decade living in town, he said he felt his experience as a steel business owner has prepared him to serve on the Select Board.
He said the biggest challenge facing the town is revenue, noting, “We don’t have enough money coming in for the expenses we have. Everything is expensive, and there’s a balance determining our wants versus needs.”
Resident Deb Sampson asked Webster how to best solve the revenue issue.
“We have to be mindful of every dollar we spend, and my time on the Budget Advisory Committee has given me a good overview of the money we’re getting,” he responded.
Ken MacLeod asked if the future selectman had a 10 to 20-year vision for the town.
“I do, but I’m not willing to share all the details right now,” Webster said. “I just want to ensure we maintain the character of the town.”
Tom Shevenell is also running for re-election to the Water Commission. He said the town’s aging water system infrastructure needs replacement within 30 years. “We have 12 miles of piping from 1907. As long as we take care of it, it will take care of us, but eventually it needs to be replaced,” he told the crowd.
Sampson asked Shevenell if there were other water issues the town is considering, such as changing weather patterns or a reduced water table.
“We’ve received grants from the state to look for alternative water supplies,” Shevenell said. “We’re looking at a valley between Middle and Old Hancock Road. We need permission to do some ground-penetrating radar work to identify a potential source.” He noted the town’s current water source, Juggernaut Pond, is adequate, but an alternative source would give the town a contingency.
Haskins, the town moderator, is running for an additional term after having served in the position since 2004. “When I first ran in 2004, I uttered the words ‘I think I can do a better job.’ Here I am 22 years later,” he said.
Sampson asked Haskins if he expected any challenges from the country’s political climate to affect his role.
“Ballots were secured from a particular voting site, but the Secretary of State is holding the line as our elections are our elections, so hopefully not,” Haskins said, referring to the federal government’s seizure of Georgia’s 2020 voting records in early February.
Closter is the sole candidate for Supervisor of the Checklist. She said her 43 years as a clinical psychologist and election volunteer experience qualified her for the position. She said she served as a greeter, counted votes and assisted with the checklist at local elections.
Faber is running for re-election as a library trustee, but wasn’t present at the event. She provided a letter stating she deeply values the library and would be honored to serve a second term.
Residents can cast their vote at the March 10 election.