Select board position up for grabs in Gilford

GILFORD — A former town clerk, a semi-retired construction consultant and the owner of a fireplace company are running to succeed Richard “Rags” Grenier on the Board of Selelctmen.

Grenier, 66, has served two 3-year terms and is not seeking re-election.

Denise Morrissette Gonyer held the elective position as town clerk in Gilford for 15 years, and worked in non-elective positions for the town before that. She left the town clerk position last July to become the state registrar of vital records.

In an interview, she said her experience would be helpful in working on the select board.

“I have a lot of knowledge about the town, enjoyed working with and listening to the town’s people and I just thought this would be a way of giving back to my community,” she said. “I feel like knowing how the town works is an advantage and that I can be an asset to the citizens of Gilford.”

She said the current select board has been successful.

“I think the town is in a good position and I want to be part of the success of the town,” she said.

Gonyer said she understands and enjoys working the budget process.

“I enjoy the running of a town, the daily operation and getting feedback from taxpayers,” she said. “I find it easy to talk to people and they know I’m approachable.”

She holds a certification from a municipal clerk program.

Kevin Hayes

Kevin Hayes, who spent a career working as a consultant to the construction industry, is now semi-retired and works out of an office in his home.

Six years ago, he finished a two-term stint as a selectman.

“I just love this town and I liked being involved in the decisions of the town and helping other residents out,” he said.

“My real reason for running is to keep town good town management and keep taxes as low as possible while still providing the services that the town expects,” he said.

“You have to listen to the people. The people are saying keep my taxes low, keep my roads paved and plowed and overall make sure we are managed well by town government.”

He said he has also found that citizens are very concerned about police and fire protection and are willing to pay for the work of those departments.

Hayes holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s of business administration.

Angelo Farruggia

Angelo Farruggia, owner of Fire N’ Stone in Tilton, said he feels it is important for members of the community to be involved in local government.

“I have two little ones in the schools and I wanted to stay as active as possible,” he said. “I’ve been attending town meetings and want to be involved.”

He said he would foster understanding of town processes.

“People in town don’t understand what goes into our budgets,” he said.

“As a business owner and a taxpayer who loves the town itself, when I found out Rags was not running again, I felt it was time for a new look, a new approach.”

Farruggia said he wants to ensure the town’s infrastructure gets the support it needs.

“In the past, infrastructure was neglected,” he said. “I want to make sure we keep the town as great as possible.”

He said he would like to see more sidewalks and emergency access roads at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion.

Outgoing selectman

Whoever gets the position, which pays $2,500 per year, will find out it is a time-consuming job, said Grenier, the outgoing selectmen.

“The people see that we meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, but there is so much more to it,” Grenier said.

There are documents to initial, contracts to sign, department heads to hire, employee functions to attend, personnel issues to be dealt with.

Grenier said he is most proud of improvements made at the town’s transfer station, which saves money and ensures more material is recycled instead of going into the trash stream.

His concerns for the future include unfunded government mandates placed on municipalities, including some onerous regulations and rising public employee pension costs.

Grenier believes that the local town government must have a heart for its citizens, which plays out in the property tax arena.

“The town bends over backwards to try to keep people in their homes,” he said. “At times we might waive fees and interest. We will work with them.”