Selectmen candidates: Different views on override, more

Residents will head to the polls Tuesday, March 25, 2008, to elect one of two people to the Board of Selectmen. The candidates are Peter Cotch and incumbent Mary Lyman. Here are their answers to several questions posed by the Townsman this week:

Family info: Children: Dan, ll; Tim, l4; Andy, l7. Husband, Jamie, owns his own business, "New England Ski Boat"

Civic involvement (no more than 5 organizations or positions): Member of League of Women Voters, AVIS, Friends of the Library, Andover Democratic Town Committee, Doherty PAC

1. What is the likelihood you will support an override during the next three years?

3. Should Andover begin building a new fire station in the next three years?

My override position depends on what happens with CPA, cuts this year and new growth.

On the town yard, the study looks promising at this time. It depends on the study of the new sites and the sale of the old site and if the MBTA is still interested in purchasing that land. There could be environmental issues.

On the fire station, we have a consultant's report and have not discussed it extensively at this time.

1. If elected, what SPECIFIC things MUST be accomplished during the next three years for you to deserve re-election in 2011? (150 words. Any response over the word limit will be edited down.)

I decided to run again so I could continue working on the budget and to ensure that some of the issues that are not as visibile continue to have a voice in town. I am also committed to settling our labor contracts with a fair settlement. I will continue to look for cost-containment proposals including health insurance. The Interstate 93 proposal will be very important to ensure Andover's future is protected. In addition to looking at building a new school in the next three years, we have also spent many years working on the youth center and I am expecting this to be in the pipeline.

2. Salaries and benefits make up most of the budget. What perk would you fight to change, if any, to get taxpayers more for their dollar? (150 words.)

A. Health insurance for part-time employees working 20 hours has turned out to be a benefit that is very expensive. State legislation that would change it to something along 30 hours of work would relieve a huge burden for the town. We need to continue to work to seek ways to reduce the cost of health insurance. Changing benefits for future employees would be the best way to approach this.

3. Personality question: You are in the middle of nowhere, with no other cars around and stuck at a red light for five minutes. How much longer do you wait before going ahead, assuming you go ahead at all? (25 words.)

I would wait the 5 minutes. If the cycle had passed, the light had not changed and the intersection is completely clear, I would go.

Civic involvement: Andover Rotary board of directors, Lawrence Bar Association, Essex County Bar Association

1. What is the likelihood you will support an override during the next three years?

3. Should Andover begin building a new fire station in the next three years?

You have up to 100 words to further explain one or more of your choices above. (Any response over the word limit will be edited down.)

On the town yard, the present location can be put to higher and better use and conceivably placed on the tax rolls.

Regarding a new fire station, I'm not persuaded that we need one. If we do, it must be affordable.

As for a new school, I assume you are referring to the Bancroft School. My understanding is that it is structurally unsound. If that is correct, it must be replaced. However, it should not be rebuilt to the same design excess as the present structure. And, I want to see that it incorporates green technology to the maximum extent possible.

1. If elected, what SPECIFIC things MUST be accomplished during the next three years for you to deserve reelection in 2011? (150 words. Any response over the word limit will be edited down.)

(A) Spending must be in line with revenue. (B) We must be on track to a restored Aaa bond rating. (C) We must have reduced Andover's carbon footprint. Those reflect my goals. The goals of Andover's voters may be different. Frankly, I'm not hung-up on being re-elected. Worrying about being re-elected makes incumbents too timid to make the difficult choices, for fear of alienating one special interest group or another. I'll call them as I see them and let the chips fall where they may. I'm not out to become Mister Congeniality. I want to see Andover back on firm financial footing, in addition to operating in the most environmentally responsible way practicable.

2. Salaries and benefits make up most of the budget. What perk would you fight to change, if any, to get taxpayers more for their dollar? (150 words.)

Regrettably, selectmen have no direct authority to alter salaries or benefits. Those are determined by the collective bargaining process. Any perquisites enjoyed by non-exempt employees are arrived at through contract negotiations. The only solution is more skillful bargaining on the part of the town. Union negotiators are very adept at the process. They do it for a living, after all. We should consider hiring professional negotiators to represent the town, for the same reason one would hire an experienced trial lawyer to litigate a complex case. It's not a job for amateurs.

I would immediately hang a right, make a U-turn, and hang another right (signaling, of course). I'm not sure I'd have waited five minutes, though.

Photos

Andover Board of Selectmen candidates Peter Cotch and Mary Lyman answer questions at an Andover/ North Andover League of Women Voters debate. Staff photo

Andover Board of Selectmen incumbent Mary Lyman Staff photo

Andover Board of Selectman candidate Peter Cotch Staff photo