BRANDON — There will a familiar name challenging an incumbent in Brandon on Town Meeting Day this year.
Attorney Jim Leary has submitted a petition and will run for a three-year seat on the Brandon selectboard against longtime selectman and board chair Richard Baker.
The move is intriguing as Leary has been a vocal opponent to the planned Hannaford supermarket project, Brandon Plaza, south of downtown Brandon. Baker owns the land where developer Bill McCabe wants to build the project, and pressure from a group of citizens including Leary led to the board’s adoption of a conflict-of-interest policy last year.
But Leary said last Monday that he just wants to give Brandon voters a choice.
“I’ve been following events in the town for a while and I think its time for a new way of doing things,” Leary said.
Leary served on the Brandon School Board for 13 years until stepping down last year.
“It’s time to serve again,” he said. “Richard Baker has served the town for a number of years and I think everyone knows where he stands on the issues. I’d like to see a little bit more action, a little bit more rolling up our sleeves and getting things done.”
Leary said while things are looking up in downtown Brandon, there is much more to do.
“Brandon has great potential, and it’s frustrating to sit back and watch that potential go untapped,” he said. “there is a great core group of selectmen that I look forward to working with and together I think we’ll make great strides.”