Meet Select Board candidate Bob Powilatis

With decades of experience as an auditor and public servant, Bob Powilatis aims to address the economic efficiency if elected to the Select Board.

Powilatis, 82, is on the ballot for the one, two-year unexpired Select Board seat left vacant by current member Sherry Quirk who announced her resignation in March.

Powilatis moved to Wareham in 2010 and has been involved with the American Legion, Elks Lodge, Garden Club and Historical Society as well as working to help raise scholarship money for kids.

Prior to moving to Wareham, Pawilatis served on the Holbrook Select Board, Water Commission, and as an assessor. He also worked as a deputy state auditor for about 40 years.

Currently Powilatis serves on the Housing Authority and if elected to the Select Board, he said tackling financial issues would be his main focus.

"I believe the purpose of government is to help people and that is what I do," Powilatis said.

Powilatis plans to address how the town can spend more efficiently, generate more revenue.

One of the ways Powilatis said the town could do this is by having the sewer bill connected to a resident's water bill, not a flat sewer rate of $743 per year for a single family house.

"You could be using 25 gallons of water a day paying $200 a year and pay almost $800 a year for sewer, it doesn't make sense," he said.

He also thinks the town should increase the amount boat owners pay in excise tax.

"You could have a $400,000 boat and pay next to nothing on boat excise tax but you could have a $20,000 car and you pay more excise tax on the car," he said.

Powilatis said he wants to explore renovating abandoned buildings and putting them up for auction so the town can collect taxes on them.

"I just want the town to be more efficient and economical," he said.

When it comes to solar development, Powilatis said he wants to do what he can to prevent deforestation, put a pause on development and let the market decide when the town is ready to handle an increase in energy development.

"The state doesn't measure the cost of forcing this on us and hasn't considered if our grid is ready for it," Powilatis said. "You've got to factor in lost forestation and lost oxygen."

Another issue Powilatis plans to address is the matter of accessory dwelling units.

Accessory dwelling units are a new housing designation created by a state law last year. An accessory dwelling unit is a second, smaller residence that can be built on properties zoned single family.

Town officials have expressed concern over how they could impact year-round residents. Powilatis agreed with others' concern and would like to see them used only for generational living.

When it comes to increasing activity on Main Street, Powilatis said he is for trying new things but it has to be done carefully.

"I'm for redevelopment if it's going to generate taxes and revenue," Powilatis said.

In order to help the schools, Powilatis wants less school budget cuts by rearranging what percentage of the school budget gets cut to give the school more money and look to other areas in the town budget to make cuts.