Although the three candidates for Oak Bluffs selectmen this year boast vastly different backgrounds — one is a former teacher, one worked for a resource recovery corporation and the other is a former union president — all agree the town is at a crossroads, and must start changing the way it does business.
The three candidates vying for two open seats on the board — Duncan Ross, Ron DiOrio and Hans von Steiger — have all campaigned on a platform of fiscal reform and economic development in the shadow of budget deficit that will require almost $1 million in overrides and debt exclusions.
The polls will be open Thursday, April 10, from noon to 7 p.m. in the meeting room of the Oak Bluffs library.
Incumbent Duncan Ross is the former town moderator and ranking veteran of three candidates, with a full three-year term under his belt. Mr. Ross retired from the Martha’s Vineyard High School after a 31-year teaching career and has served on the town finance committee, the historical district commission, conservation commission, and state teachers association board of directors.
Mr. Ross supports taking aggressive steps to bring new businesses into town while finding ways to lessen the town’s dependence on property taxes. He feels the town should try to attract additional cruise ships to boost business and supports town events like the Monster Shark Tournament and the Martha’s Vineyard Festival featuring the Boston Pops, both of which have been scrutinized by other selectmen.
Mr. Ross supports new revenue-generating tactics ranging from the minor, like creating a fee structure for overnight parking for off-Island contractors, to the major, such as the creation of a new business park. He believes the town administrator can be freed up to spend more time seeking state and federal funds instead of focusing on the minutia of the town’s daily operations.
Mr. Ross said he has brought a level-headed approach to government during his three-year term, including one year as chairman, and helped create a more collaborative spirit on the board of selectmen. He said he has tried to keep meetings from getting bogged down in lengthy discussions about extraneous topics.
Despite his efforts, he said feels some meetings often suffer from paralysis by analysis.
“We can do a better job focusing on things people care about. At times we tend to go on at length about minor procedural things or disagreements, when we could be talking about things that really matter and can improve this town,” he said.
Mr. Duncan is passionate about the preservation of Sengekontacket Pond, which the state has closed for shellfishing for four months during the summer on a permanent basis. He is vice chairman of a special joint committee consisting of town officials from Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, and feels keeping the pond clean and healthy should be a priority.
“That pond is so vital to the town — from our fisherman to our economy — it is part of our way of life,” he said.
Incumbent Ron DiOrio is co-owner of the Craftworks and president of the Martha’s Vineyard chapter of Habitat for Humanity and chairman of the town affordable housing committee. He is a past president of the National Education Association of Rhode Island and worked for large construction contractors and labor unions in Washington, D.C.
Mr. DiOrio is a relative newcomer to Oak Bluffs politics, having won a special election in August of 2006 to fill the unexpired term of former selectman Michael Dutton, who is now town administrator. Although he has served for only a year and a half, Mr. DiOrio has played an active role in helping overhaul the town personnel bylaws and past employment practices.
Just months after his election, he advocated for the elimination of certain town contracts that were later deemed to be illegal by town counsel and the state Department of Revenue. Mr. DiOrio said he helped make the elimination of those unauthorized contracts a fairly smooth process.
Mr. DiOrio also is chairman of a committee that oversees negotiations with the collective bargaining units for town employees. He has also helped create several affordable housing opportunities in town, such as the proposal to convert the old town library on Pennacook avenue into a mixed-used building with three affordable housing units on the second floor and a pharmacy on the ground floor.
He said his proudest accomplishment is helping to get the proposal to renovate the old Bradley Memorial Church off the ground. Plans call for the creating a mixed-use complex with 12 affordable housing units, an office space for the NAACP, a museum to commemorate the Rev. Oscar Denniston and several artist work spaces.
It is the type of innovative project that Mr. DiOrio said the town needs more of.
“For far too long we have simply torn down old buildings that no longer serve a purpose without even thinking about renovating and recycling them. Here we have [in the Bradley Memorial Church] a situation where we will be able to preserve a vital piece of the town’s history, create several affordable housing units, enhance our arts community and create a substantial addition to our tax base,” he said.
Mr. DiOrio is not shy about acting on an idea or plan he feels is good for the town, a good example being the proposal to renovate the old library. In only a matter of months, Mr. DiOrio helped secure letters from several pharmacists who expressed interest in moving into the commercial space while architects drafted plans that included three affordable housing units on the second floor.
“I’m a doer . . . I always have been. If I think a plan is good for the town, I think we should get it to the public, get the proper approvals and make it happen. I’m a good listener, but after I’ve listened to the right people, I get it done,” Mr. DiOrio said.
Mr. DiOrio acknowledged the town is experiencing financial problems, which he feels may worsen in the years to come. He noted that he has pushed for the town to collect payments in lieu of taxes from certain not-for-profits like the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and feels the town can do more to find additional revenue streams.
“The financial problems [this year] are not just a blip on the radar . . . this is trend will continue. Our costs will continue to climb, while [commercial and residential] growth will continue to slow down. We need to find new ways to generate income,” he said.
Challenger Hans von Steiger, who is seeking his first term as selectman, agrees the town needs to start thinking “outside the box” to both cut down spending and generate new revenue. He is a retired executive with Combustion Engineering Inc., a Connecticut company that specialized in resource recovery and waste-to-energy plants. He is also member of the town wastewater commission, treasurer of the Friends of Oak Bluffs Council on Aging and a member of the Island chapter of Rotary International.
Mr. von Steiger said town leaders have not done an efficient job running the town in recent years.
“We now have a budget well over $20 million — we aren’t this sleepy little town anymore,” he said. “We need to start running this town like a business and start thinking like a business.”
Mr. von Steiger said the town is often lax in its financial controls, citing how officials do not review the annual operating budget in the middle of the year. Instead, the budget is passed at town meeting and is not reviewed again until the next budget season, he said.
“And then every year we have these little surprises . . . we find out that this costs more then we thought, and we needed extra money for that. Why are we finding out about these things after the fact?” he said.
Mr. von Steiger said the standard mode of operation in town is to accept cost increases year to year and then raise property taxes to fund them. He said town officials could do more to anticipate these increases and plan accordingly.
“You take home insurance costs . . . everyone on the Island who owns a home is paying more for [home insurance]. So why is it a surprise each year when the town has to pay more? We should know this is the trend by now,” he said.
Mr. von Steiger said the town can do more to promote the business community, which in turn will attract new businesses.
“A healthy economy means everything. It means more people, more business, more dollars for the town,” he said.
In other races, a total of four candidates — two incumbents and two challengers — will battle for three open seats on the finance and advisory committee. Incumbents Joseph Alosso, the town wastewater superintendent, and Michael Perry face off against challengers Mac Starks and Mr. von Steiger.
Mr. Starks is the town custodian who has run twice previously for a seat on the board of selectmen.
Two candidates — both challengers — will battle for one open seat on the park and recreation commission: Bill McGrath, a current member of the finance and advisory committee, and Nancy Phillips, a current member of the community development committee. The incumbent who holds the seat, Michael Marchand, opted not to run for reelection.
In the final race of the election, incumbent wastewater commissioner Richard D. Combra faces Gail Barmakian.
David Richardson is running unopposed for moderator; Deborah deBettencourt Ratcliff is running unopposed for town clerk; Edward Charter is running unopposed for cemetery commissioner; longtime incumbent Priscilla Sylvia is running unopposed for school committee; and Raymond J. Moreis is running unopposed for water district commissioner.
As of this week, nobody had declared intentions to run for an open five-year seat on the planning board.
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