Adams Native Makes Three in Race for Selectman
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Last-minute contender Michael Ouellette, a lifetime resident, has thrown his hat into the ring, saying his combination of drive and experience could help Adams usher in a new era of success.
Joining Michael Taber and Jason Hnatonko in the race for the seat Myra Wilk abandoned last spring, Ouellette plans to make opening lines of communication his top priority.
"We need to watch our pennies but we also need to make good decisions. We shouldn't be squeezing nickels and dimes; we should be making sure that everyone is happy with the decisions town government makes and not because they're getting something out of it but because they know its best for the town," said Ouellette on Monday.
Ouellette said he wants to hear more discussion on some of the issues in town. He used current Selectman Donald R. Sommer's repeated attempts to pass motions as an example of the lack of dialogue.
"Sommer isn't getting any support from the other board members. He'll make a motion and it'll just die out there. I tend to think along the same lines as he does and I want to hear what he has to say. I want to hear his ideas. I might not vote for them but I at least want to hear him," he said.
A retired General Electric/General Dynamics engineer who was with the company for 32 years, Ouellette, 61, said he now has the time to devote to helping his hometown grow and expand. The former town meeting and Zoning board of appeals member said his goal in running for the empty seat is to do what he can to promote the town's revitalization.
"I see a lot of things they want to do — in the downtown, with the Greylock Glen — that I believe I have a lot of knowledge, expertise and experience to help the town," said Ouellette. "I'd be able to help get involved with some of the things going on. I know the codes, know the builders. I mean, there are things I don't know about, like grants and stuff, but someone can help me with that and I have lots of good technological and analytical experience."
Ouellette said his experience as a land developer, both in Adams and in Lanesborough, has aided him in learning about the ins and outs of town government and his insider knowledge gives him the advantage of knowing what it takes to attract people to the region. Among his priorities is increasing the tax base and encouraging partnerships between the Selectmen and potential business owners or developers.
"We need to draw people here because this is a nice place to live. We need to support businesses. I support partnerships 100 percent and I support the waivers like the one they did last week with the Jones Block. It shows good faith," he said.
Ouellette said that since Adams has the third-highest property tax rate in the county, he's concerned about the town's economic future.
"I want to find out what's wrong," he said.
Now that he's retired and his condominium project (located on land that abuts Greylock Glen) is on hold, Ouellette said he's got both the time and the desire to dedicate to town politics.
"I don't agree with the Selectmen's idea of 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' That's a status quo, stagnation kind of thing. The Selectmen throw too many wrenches in the works and they're not forming partnerships. They have no partnership with progress; they have a partnership with the status quo."
According to Town Clerk Paul Hutchinson, the selectman's position is the only contested race in town elections this year, set to take place on May 5.
Hutchinson also noted that several vacancies for roles could be filled by one write-in vote, including positions on the Parks Commission, the Cemetery Commission and the Redevelopment Authority.
