Whitney to challenge Carlisle for seat on Board of Selectmen
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Mark Carlisle

Two contestants have already started the race to represent Ashburnham on the Board of Selectmen, incumbent Mark Carlisle and Advisory Board member Maggie Whitney will each seek a three-year term on the board.

Whitney is running on a platform of creating a more open and informative government, while Carlisle said he is going to run for re-election because there many things he would like see get accomplished.

"I'm running because I don't feel like we have an open type of government," Whitney said. "I think the taxpayers need to know how their money is being spent."

Carlisle cites a number of ongoing and future projects that he would like to be part of the planning and development.

"There are still things to be done," he said. "I want to see the continued work to revitalize the center of town. … We have to develop something in the center of town."

Carlisle said this is going to include discussions with Gardner city officials about the town's waste water removal contract, the location of the highway department site and creating a reason for people to come to town.

Maggie Whitney

"We need to do a better job of defining ourselves," he said, suggesting using the town as a tourist destination.

The town's Citizens' Caucus is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 25, and at that time anyone else interested in running for that board or any other elected town position on this year's ballot can ask for the citizens' support.

The caucus, which is held to ensure that there is a candidate for every position on the ballot, also allows that nominees - up to two per position - to avoid collecting signatures on nomination papers.

If a person does not receive the caucus nomination or decides to run after the caucus, then the person must collect signatures from register voters on nomination papers from the Town Clerk's Office and return them by Friday, March 7.

The three members of the Board of Selectmen are the highest ranking elected officials in town.

The board oversees the town administrator, the set the town meeting warrants and they represent the residents of town in a variety of other public ways.

Carlisle was elected to the board in 2005 when he beat then-incumbent Leo Janssens II.

Carlisle had previously served on the Board of Health.

He knows that discussions about renovating or rebuilding John R. Briggs Elementary, will take shape this year.

"We have to try to deal with the minimal impact to the taxpayer," he said.

Whitney served 2.5 of her three-year term on the Board of Selectmen when she was elected in 1991. She said she resigned from the board at that time because of issues with the fire department.

Whitney was a call-firefighter, a position she no longer holds.

Whitney said if she is elected she is committed to serving her full-term and that she is giving her word to voters.

"I'm more seasoned now," Whitney said. "They would definitely have my word if I was elected."

Whitney said the election isn't a personality contest and voters do not have to like her to elect her. But that they should see the tenacity and trustworthiness she will bring to the position.

She adds she would like to have the Selectmen form more partnerships, both for services and discussions, with area towns.