BRADFORD, Vt. — Three candidates are vying to fill a seat on the Selectboard that’s been vacant since a board member resigned in May.
After more than 20 years on the board, Dan Perry III opted to step down because he “lost interest,” he told the Valley News at the time of his resignation.
The election on Tuesday comes following a period of turmoil on the board.
Perry’s resignation was one of three by board members over the past year.
This spring, the board also faced backlash from residents over resignations from the fire department, and Michael Wright, the current vice chairman of the board, accused Chairwoman Meroa “Peep” Benjamin of “acts of bullying and dictatorship,” which she has denied.
Josh Allen and Carole Taylor also hold seats on the board.
On Tuesday, residents will have three options to fill the fifth board seat: Parks and Recreation Commission Chairwoman Jean Carlan; Jarrod Kosakowski, a soon-to-retire member of the Vermont National Guard, or Katie O’Donnell, a mom and administrative assistant.
The winner will hold the seat until Town Meeting in March.
Economic development
Jean Carlan, 56, has lived in Bradford for 16 years. She is a technical manager of a lab in the chemistry department at Dartmouth and has two kids, ages 16 and 19.
Carlan spoke to the Valley News in the May about the hostility she said she’s faced from Benjamin as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, but if elected, she is “looking forward to contributing the best (she) can and working with the other four members of the board,” she said in a phone interview Wednesday.
“The temperature in the Selectboard room does concern me,” she said. “But I’ve been able to bring a lot of different people together to work on projects in the parks and rec realm. I think we just need to listen to each other a little bit more and realize we’re all trying to do our best for Bradford.”
As a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission since 2019, Carlan said she has been partially responsible for securing over $100,000 in grants and donations for improvements to Bradford’s recreational facilities.
“I’d like to see the Selectboard move toward more long-range goal planning for the majority of their work instead of reactionary discussions to current issues,” Carlan said.
She would like the Selectboard to pursue zoning changes to spur “economic development of our community specifically regarding new housing and bringing businesses to our area,” she said.
With state lawmakers having passed new housing legislation and an education reform bill this past session, Carlan sees “a lot of changes and opportunities coming for rural towns like Bradford.”
“I hope to help communicate our needs and our solutions moving forward,” she said. “To listen to folks and bring the players together and make hard decisions.”
Infrastructure and tax relief
Jarrod Kosakowski, 47, has lived in Bradford 42 years.
“I know a lot of people in town,” he said in a phone interview Monday.
He has two daughters, ages 15 and 21.
Kosakowski said the resignations over the past year are “not a concern” for him.
He is friends with Perry, the former board member who resigned, and hopes he can “lean on him” if elected.
“I think the thing that sets me apart is the relationships and lifelines I have in the community,” he said.
Kosakowski’s had an interest in local government since he returned from serving in the Army in Afghanistan in 2011, but never felt like he had the time needed to be a public official until now. He is set to retire from the Vermont Army National Guard in the next two months.
“I care about this little town,” he said.
Infrastructure and tax relief are Kosakowski’s priorities.
“We shouldn’t be adding new without maintaining what we have,” he said. “There’s certain things in town that should be fixed.” Kosakowski declined to say what specifically in town needs fixing.
Kosakowski is in favor of adding a skatepark to Elizabeth’s Park which residents voted, 120-50, in favor of going forward with at Town Meeting. “If that’s what the town wants that’s what I want,” he said.
If elected, Kosakowski plans to run again in March. “I’d just be getting to where I’m understanding how it works by then,” he said.
Prioritizing public safety
Katie O’Donnell, 33, grew up in Corinth and moved to Bradford seven years ago. She is a “stay-at-home mom” of two children, 12 and 6; and works part-time from home as an administrative assistant for a “multi-million dollar fiber optic internet company” that she declined to name.
“I figured it was my time to step in and help out where I could,” she said.
O’Donnell said she has been attending Selectboard meetings for a 18 months. She described herself as an observer; not someone who usually speaks up at meetings.
“I support everyone currently on the board,” she said. “It’s not supposed to be a personal position.”
While O’Donnell has not held a position in town before, she volunteers quite a bit, she said. In 2019, O’Donnell and her daughter collected close to 4,000 pairs of socks to donate to the Upper Valley Haven, a nonprofit that provides shelter and services to homeless community members.
Public safety is O’Donnell’s main concern.
“I believe the police department needs more support,” O’Donnell said. “We should be thanking them and supporting them.”
Above all, O’Donnell encourages every Bradford resident to get out and vote.
“I feel as though currently in Bradford there are not many people who will take the time to do their research, show up, vote and speak up for our public service officers,” she said.
Australian ballot voting for the vacant Selectboard seat is on Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bradford Academy auditorium.
