BRANDON — On Town Meeting Day, March 5, Brandon residents will choose from among four candidates for three seats on the selectboard.
Board chair Seth Hopkins and Selectman Brian Coolidge both are running for re-election to one-year selectboard terms, but Selectman Devon Fuller said he won’t run for another three-year term.
“We have a great team working for the town right now,” Hopkins said. “I am running for re-election because I feel I still have something of value to offer as part of that team.”
Fuller, president of the Downtown Brandon Alliance, has decided not to seek re-election to the selectboard as he hopes to spend more time and effort with the DBA in the future. Fuller said one of the reasons he will not seek re-election is that he feels the town has very good management right now and with that management there is a very good working relationship with the selectboard.
“After eight years of being on the board, I’ve accomplished what I wanted and believe it’s time for a fresh member with fresh ideas that will continue to move Brandon in, what I hope will be, a positive way.”
Fuller’s seat will see a race between two new candidates. Tim Guiles has filed to run for Fuller’s seat with the three-year term. Guiles and Hopkins both ran for state representative in November but were defeated in a close race by Stephanie Jerome and Butch Shaw.
Dennis Riesenweaver has thrown his name in to run for the open seat as well. Riesenweaver retired as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Army and worked for 45 years in the nuclear energy field. He is a member of the fire department, the American Legion, and volunteers at the Brandon Free Library.
“I want to give back to the community and help move the community forward in the future. I believe that economic growth and planned development is the future for Brandon,” Riesenweaver said. “I feel that my diverse background can provide relevant experience to the Brandon selectboard. I am very familiar with developing budgets and working with a diverse group of individuals.”
Bill Moore’s position as town moderator is up for election and Moore will seek another year at the position. Others filing petitions for election include Courtney Satz for Trustee of Public Funds and Carol Fjeld, who filed to be re-elected to her position as Library Trustee.
On the Otter Valley Unified Union School District board, Lisa Kenyon’s Brandon seat is up for re-election and Jon Rasmussen, because he was appointed, must also run for election for his Brandon seat. Barbara Ebling’s at-large seat is also up for re-election. Both Rasmussen and Ebling will run unopposed and Derek Larsen and Mike Lufkin will run for Kenyon’s seat.