With election on the horizon, candidates from the two contested Select Board races came together to make their cases on candidates night Wednesday, April 30. 

Three Select Board candidates, Marcus S. Gomes, Rick Coletti and Bob Powilatis are vying for one, two-year unexpired term left vacant by the resignation of current board member Sherry Quirk.

Coletti, veteran, former police officer and current professor said there's an issue of many homeless encampments in town. 

"I know it bothers a lot of people," Coletti said. "Especially the elderly— they get accosted by people panhandling. They get frightened or threatened especially when the person starts getting angry at them." 

Coletti said that the high taxes in Wareham are driving people out.

"The tax base here is exceedingly high and it's getting to the point where people can't afford it," he said. "Nevermind they try to pay for electricity and groceries."

When asked about the recent solar bylaws passed at the annual Town Meeting, Coletti said he wasn't in favor of knocking down trees, and worried about the environmental impacts.

"What happens when this starts reaching into the ground and into the water system in other areas? That is a big concern for me," he said. 

Former auditor, public servant and current member of the housing authority, Powilatis said the town needs to stop increasing taxes and fees. 

"We just need to find a way to work together to solve those situations — to stabilize, avoid layoffs and avoid cuts," he said. 

One way he suggested was to close opened building permits. 

"It takes a long time to get permitting through the town and they need to look at taxable properties and auction them off," he said. "By doing those things we can expand the new growth without adding taxes."

Powilatis said he thought there should have been more done to look into the long-term costs of restricting all future large ground mounted solar construction to a 1,300 acre area north of I-495 known as the Business Development Overlay District .

"Not only the costs of constructing it but the costs of dealing with the environmental impact of cutting down the trees are," he said. "Dealing with batteries — is there an infrastructure to handle it in the grids now?"

Gomes has been a lifelong resident of Wareham and has been on the cultural council for three years. He said the town has seen its ups and downs.

"I think we have to focus on cleaning up the town and make it a very desirable place for a family to grow," Gomes said.

Gomes emphasized getting more job opportunities back in town and creating more housing for residents.

"I see a lot of bigger houses going up that are almost impossible for people to afford. I think that's a big thing that draws a lot of younger people like myself out of town," he said.

On the topic of solar, Gomes said he wasn't in favor of seeing a large wooded area torn down to build the panels.

"The one main reason is the wilderness and the animals in that area," he said. "The beauty in this town is to be able to walk out for miles and see natural beauty."

Three candidates, incumbent Jared Chadwick and challengers Joseph Still and Mark Swan are vying for two available three-year terms on Select Board.

Still is the youngest candidate and said he represents the future of Wareham as he runs for a seat. Still said cleaning up the town has been a big issue and has organized his own cleanups.

"Though the town does a good job on getting most of this stuff there is a need for a constant caretaking plan," he said. 

Still said he wants to focus on the positives of town rather than the negatives. 

"Our budget is good and our money is good— we're making money in this town," Still said. "We're accomplishing things in this town every day."

When asked how he would revitalize Main Street, Still said events and festivals could draw people back into the town. He said it just takes more attention to the issue to get plans moving after Covid.

"I'm pretty sure we're on the way back," he said. "We just need some good ideas, whether that's a festival or whether that's the town coming in and taking over an abandoned building."

Incumbent Chadwick is a firefighter and paramedic in Dennis. He said he isn't worried about the price of taxes when compared to surrounding towns like Bourne.

"I would like to see more people over the age of 65 having more of a tax break," he said.

Chadwick said he wants to see more of the youth stay in town.

"Both of my boys want to do what they want to do but they have told me they're leaving," he said. "They want to leave Massachusetts all together."

In order to revitalize Main Street, Chadwick said the town should entice outside companies to come in and take over the abandoned buildings. He said he would like to see Merchants Way done away with.

"No more parking your vehicles down there, no more trash storage out back," he said. "I'd like to see that turned into something nice and turn Main Street into a one way." 

Swan is a carpenter and self-identified problem solver. He said he wants to focus on the elderly if elected. 

"There are so many elderly people in Wareham," he said. "I was very disturbed by the conditions that I saw people living in."

Swan also spoke on the cleanliness of town.

"Why did they take all the trash barrels away? That's the reason for all the litter. There's no trash barrels. We need trash barrels," he said. 

He said he wants to understand why Main Street and the town have gotten to the point that they need revitalization. He said he will go into the select board with his eyes open on why the buildings are abandoned.

"There's so many abandoned buildings and what's so unattractive for businesses to come into this town?" he said. "Cranberry Flooring Company for instance, it's been abandoned since I've been here."

Election day is Tuesday, May 6 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.