DAVID GRAY
Candidate for Board of Selectmen
1Do you favor or oppose the idea of the selectmen appointing Planning Board, Historic District Commission and Shellfish and Harbor Advisory Board members rather than having them elected?

DAVID GRAY + Age: 42 + Years on Nantucket: Native islander + Occupation: Master plumber + Town board memberships: Conservation Commission and ConCom representative to the Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission. + Family status: Married with two children.

"I am in favor of the appointing process, as I feel you have a much greater accountability to the community. If elected and you are derelict in your duties or are not holding up your commitment as far as attendance involvement there is not much anyone can do for one to five years until the next election. If appointed and you fail at these I believe you should be reported and removed from office and another person appointed in your place. I am a strong believer in attendance, and I believe this should be made public quarterly, either in the papers or at BOS meetings and the appropriate steps taken if [results are] other than positive."

2Do you see any ways to reduce or keep tight checks on the town budget in light of growth demands on services and infrastructure?

"The only way to accurately assess any town department's budget is to complete a year-end audit of expenditures. If this task occurs over a three-year period you can see spending habits and possible places to cut. Without audits of expenditures, just looking at the budget monies allotted is insufficient to address checks and balances and identify expenditures affected by growth or ways to reduce spending habits."

3Do you believe issues facing the island today warrant a need for a full-time, paid Board of Selectmen or some other form of government?

"Yes, I do. We are not the tiny town anymore. The current board members already say they are doing 25 to 40-plus hours a week in meetings and preparation. Maybe a fulltime city council and mayor may very well be where we are going very soon. You can't solve the island's problems anymore in two to four hour meetings on Wednesdays."

4Do you believe the town should pay the Waste Options arbitration award of $1.2 million since interest on the amount has been accruing at $12,000 a month since the decision and the town's appeal at the end of November?

"I do not feel comfortable to answer that without knowing the specifics. I think that whole issue needs an independent board or commission to handle just the solid waste concerns totally separate from the Department of Public Works or the Board of Selectmen. This is too big an issue to be mixed in with the rest of the issues we already face."

5Do you believe Town Meeting Article 46 prohibiting selectmen from any town job requiring 20 or more hours a week will eliminate qualified candidates for the board?

"I do not feel it will eliminate anyone. As a former town employee I believe it would be impossible to perform both duties effectively. If you want to run for office give it a try. If elected, I feel you would need to step down from your town job. This may limit many people, but how many actual town employees are willing to run for office anyway? Fifteen to 20 out of approximately 700? The numbers don't seem to eliminate that many people. This town or small city is full of incredibly talented people in all trades and fields. How many come forward? Five to 10 since I have been running this time. Ask yourself why. It is a pretty rough trip, believe me, but I am so confident I can make some kind of difference that I keep

running." I