All six hopefuls support $6.1M overrides

By FRED HANSON

RANDOLPH - All six candidates for two selectman seats in Randolph said they support passage of a $6.1 million property tax increase that would increase the average bill by 16 percent.

The three Proposition 2½ override questions on the April 1 town election ballot dominated discussion during a debate among selectman candidates Tuesday night.

The two-hour discussion was shown live on Randolph Community TV and will be repeated through election day.

The questions seek an additional $5.48 million for the schools, $411,322 for the police department and $200,000 for the fire department.

Selectman William Alexopoulos, a 12-year incumbent, said, “Our school department is in critical need for funding.” He compared the situation to making home improvements.

Richard Wells, a six-year-incumbent, said the town has tried without success to pass overrides in prior years. “Because of our past failures, we now have a larger task. The state is not going to bail us out.”

Finance committee member Andrew Azer said, “How can we afford not to provide adequate schools for our children, adequate safety for our residents? These are not extras.”

Added former Selectman Paul Fernandes, “If I stop investing in this town, I’ve given up. I can’t and won’t do that. Better safety and education are the key to our community.”

Judy Gangel, a town meeting member and recycling activist, said passage of the override questions would revive the town. “Our town finances have flatlined, and the override is the defibrillator for our finances,” she said.

Health board Chairman Mark Kittredge said budget cuts have gone all the way to the bone marrow of local services.

“If the school system goes kaput, property values will take a nosedive,” Kittredge said.

The four challengers took some shots at the incumbents and the other three selectmen during the debate.

Kittredge said the board members come across as a group of “petulant children” during their meetings.

Gangel, a regular at board meetings, said board members have been on occasion “disrespectful to townspeople.”

Pledging to return “professional, thoughtful” leadership to the board, Fernandes criticized the selectmen for spending an additional $100,000 in legal fees while failing to find money for additional police or to hire a town planner.

That prompted a response from Alexopoulos. “Paul, you were on the board of selectmen; you have the blame as well. Don’t push the blame over here,” Alexopoulos said.

Fernandes was defeated in a re-election bid last year.

Azer criticized long delays in filling the job of executive secretary and town accountant, saying the latter vacancy cost the town an additional $100,000 in audit fees.

After the debate, Wells defended the board’s record.

“There are some things we can improve on,” Wells said. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job.”