Dana Desjardins, a Republican, age 46, of 64 River Road, Raymond, is running for a position on the Raymond Board of Selectmen.
A previous Board member, from 2001 to 2004, Desjardins has a two-year degree in electrical construction and has owned his own business for the past 15 years.
Why are you running for the Board of Selectmen?
Dana Desjardins: I feel that we have to try to slow down the spending on things that a lot of people feel are not necessarily the right things to be spending money on. I’m not against technology but I think we could spend less on it. The town is in relatively good shape, but I feel we should start paying some of our bills off before we start borrowing more money. I noticed there are a couple of current board members who want to expand the town hall and build a new library and I can’t justify that. The taxpayers in the town of Raymond have been taxed unevenly for a number of years and once the revaluation kicks in I’m afraid that we’re going to have a lot of unhappy taxpayers. We have to do some of the consolidation services. We have to meet with school officials. We have redundancies at our finance level.
How do you think you can work with a board, whose opinions may vary at times, to effect change?
Desjardins: I’ve worked well with the Board; I’ve been on the side of a lot of 3-2 votes. To be a selectman, you don’t always make everybody happy, you have to make tough decisions. We didn’t always agree but 95 percent of the time we got the job done. I think I can work with the current board members on this job – I’ve worked with Christine and I’ve worked with Ada. I think they both know the spending is an issue.
What do you think has prepared you for this position?
Desjardins: I enjoy being part of public office. I’ve been involved in a lot of youth activities. I feel if I don’t stand up and speak up, some of the things that we value are going to be gone forever.
What do you think is the biggest single challenge that the Town of Raymond faces in the next three years?
Desjardins: There’s been a lot of talk about growth. I was part of the Comprehensive Plan. I felt (it) wasn’t focused enough on light industrial and commercial growth. We need the businesses. New homes bring in tax dollars but they also bring increased spending levels. I personally don’t feel the growth in Raymond is out of control; I think it’s right on track.
How does having someone like you, with experience on the Board of Selectmen, benefit the citizens of Raymond?
Desjardins: (In my trade) I’m aware of buildings, and the maintenance of these buildings is a big issue. I know how budgets work. It takes a minimum of two years to understand that. The first year is sort of like an apprenticeship to a lot of people. Knowing how budgets work is crucial for a board member. Experience counts.
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