Forum Fields Candidates in Contested Races

Candidates staked positions, sketched approaches to government and asked for votes at the League of Women Voters Candidates’ Forum Monday.

The League invited only candidates for contested races, each of the openings a single position for three years. The forum was held at the high school.

Selectman 

The two candidates, incumbent Matt Strauss and challenger Glenn Kessler, differentiated themselves on proposed funding for Phillips Park improvements that include an artificial surface at Blocksidge Field.

The project, estimated earlier this year at $2.5 million, would be funded through combined public and private money.

Strauss said the project gets his “full support.”

The improvements are about investing in the town’s infrastructure and making it a better place to live.

The town has invested in below ground infrastructure, now is the time to invest in infrastructure above ground, he said.

Strauss said his leadership and experience on the board recommend him for reelection.

Kessler did not fully endorse the artificial surface.

He said it is a great idea but he wants assurance that private funding will support the project to the extent that supporters say it will. 

He also said he has yet to hear a definitive answer to the question: how much is the projected longterm cost to maintain the field?

Kessler said his commitment to transparency and his community involvement recommend him for the position.

School Committee

Incumbent Jackie Kinney and challenger Francis “Ted” Delano responded differently to a question on a proposal to increase high school students’ sports fees by $50, to $300.

Last week the School Committee voted unanimously not to raise fees for students who play sports, but left open the possibility of raising the fees by August or cutting expenses in the sports program if needed.

Kinney said the district operates on a lean budget.

She said the district business manager takes a conservative budgetary approach and works closely with the athletic director and the principal on athletic program spending.

She said the budget may require some “tough choices’ in the future.

Kinney said the district will enjoy continuity with her reelection.

Delano said the district should do whatever is necessary to make sure kids have sports to occupy themselves after school.

He said some people in town are embarrassed to say that their budgets are so tight that the fee increase could determine whether their kids participate in sports.

Delano said he would bring daily experience to the position, that of working with and caring about the youth of Swampscott.

Board of Health

Incumbent Nelson Kessler stressed his experience on the board, his support for recycling and his commitment to no particular ideology.

He said the town’s recycling program had saved the town $30,000 since it went into effect last year and that the local recycling rate had climbed from 17 percent to 26 percent.

Challenger Olaf Faeskorn said he brings experience as a nurse, business experience in the health care field and political experience gained in his country of birth, Germany.

He said he supports recycling but not being told to recycle without a public vote on the question.

Challenger Deborah Shelkan Remis said she brings to the position medical experience, as a doctor, and a measured, science-based approach to problem solving and initiatives.

She said the town is on the right path with its recycling program and it is important to continue to educate the public about the benefits of recycling.

Cathy Vaucher of the League of Women Voters moderated Thursday’s forum.