News
5 compete for 2 trustee spots in Bennington Twp.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008 9:52 AM EDT
BENNINGTON TWP. - Five candidates are set to compete for two trustee openings during the Aug. 5 primary.
James Forsythe, Richard Lucas, Joseph Rathbun, Robert Ware and Nancy Zdunic will run on the Republican ticket. Winners will face Democratic candidate Dale Harris in November.
Forsythe, 51, has been serving on the board as a replacement trustee and thinks he has what it takes to serve a full term.
“I have had a lot of responsibilities,” Forsythe said. “I have stability and loyalty. The experience I have gained on the professional side also directly applies.”
Forsythe is an information technology professional and said he has used his knowledge of computers to make communication between the board and the citizens easier by creating a township Web site.
“I would like to implement a system online (for citizens) to do taxes and look at information on the township on the Web site,” Forsythe said.
Richard Lucas has no experience on the township board and said he was running because he wants to make communication between the government and the people easier.
“I'm pretty experienced at dealing with the folks in the county,” said Lucas, who served on the township planning commission for five years. “I know how the government at the county level works and I know who to talk to.”
Lucas does not see any major issues coming up in the next term, but said he would handle each one appropriately.
Candidate Joseph Rathbun said there are several issues he would like to tackle in the upcoming term.
“General maintenance and conditions (will come up next term),” he said. “Expenditures need to be reviewed and dealt with efficiently and with responsibility.”
Rathbun said his experience and his support for the township make him a good a candidate.
“I think the township is growing,” he said. “There are concerns from the farming community and private sector and the candidates need to balance both sides of that. I would like to be a part of that and represent the people.”
Robert Ware said he sees every issue the township board hears as an important one.
“I couldn't tell you (what issues are important), until I hear it from the people,” he said. “I am open to listening to the community and hearing each problem the people have.”
Ware said he is “fair-minded” and his 21 years of experience on the Perry-Morrice-Shaftsburg Ambulance Board make him a good candidate.
“I reported to the board before,” Ware said. “I know the workings of the board and what to do.”
Nancy Zdunic, the township treasurer for the last 15 years, is the candidate with the most experience on the board.
Zdunic said she was looking for a position that allowed her to get away more since the treasurer position tied her down a lot. She also said the board was moving in the right direction and wanted to continue to be a part of it.
“I have other ideas that I would like to present to the board,” Zdunic said. “There are improvements we still need to be working for.”
Continuing financial stability is important to Zdunic. “I think we've made a lot of progress in the last 15 to 20 years,” she said. “We need to remain as financially sound as we are now. I would also like to organize a spring or fall clean-up of the neighborhood.”
- Contact Nathan Bruttell at 725-5136 extension 231 or nbruttellarguspress@gmail.com
