Familiar foes vie for Lynnfield selectmen seat

LYNNFIELD – Lynnfield voters will not have to choose between newcomers for the open Board of Selectmen seat in the April election, as two local officials have declared their intent to run for the position.Thomas Terranova, Recreation Commission co-chairman and Finance Committee member, and Board of Assessors Chair David Nelson have both obtained the paperwork to campaign for the seat that will be vacated by current chairman Arthur Bourque, who has announced that he is running for town moderator.Nelson, 63, said his top priority, if elected, is the town?s financial security.?I want to make sure that Lynnfield has the money to move forward and, if that?s balancing our budget, then, yes, I want to balance our budget,” he said. “And I want to have the money to do the right things for the town.”Increased transparency in town government is at the top of Terranova?s list of objectives.?I?m currently talking to people, and what I?m finding is they don?t understand budgetary process,” he said. “The only thing they understand is the changes to the real estate tax.”To create a more open dialogue between town officials and residents, Terranova, 47, suggested putting more information on the town website, such as full budgets, and inviting residents to Town Hall for informal meetings with the selectmen and the Finance Committee.Both candidates said they support the ongoing MarketStreet Lynnfield development project, but each had his own specific take on the issue.?I think it?s going to turn out to be a good choice and bring in some revenue that?s going to relieve the taxpayers,” Nelson said.There is also a need to look at other potential commercial spaces in the town, he said, for additional resident taxpayer relief.Terranova said he would not want it to put a strain on town roads from increased traffic, or burden the police and fire departments.?We need to make sure that MarketStreet is going to be an asset to the community and not a liability, by virtue of any increase of town services that they?re going to need,” he said.If elected to the board, Nelson said, he would also want to look at finding land to expand places such as Town Hall, the Department of Public Works and the library.?I think that a lot of people in town realize that we?re already running out of space in some of our buildings,” he said.Terranova also listed additional room for town offices and the library as a priority, in addition to laying out plans for a town community center and more field space for youth sports.Prior to his run for the Board of Selectmen, Terranova said he organized FIELDS – the Lynnfield Friends Initiative to Expand Land Devoted to Sports – a nonprofit that just received its 501(c)(3) status from the IRS. He also has a committee of people who are researching federal and state grants for the initiative.?I would like to do this with as little expense as possible to the taxpayer,” Terranova said.Nelson said that a community center and field space is an area to be looked at, but that it is not a great concern.?There are other things that are more important right now, and it?s keeping the school system as strong as it can be,” he said.Repairing infrastructure has been a big issue in town, Nelson said, and he thinks the town should find a way to set money aside, potentially through grants, to continue to take care of roads, sidewalks and buildings. Meanwhile, Terranova said he would like to develop and implement a multi-year project to replace sidewalks and beautify the town.Terranova, a certified public accountant and managing partner at Terranova & Associates in Danvers, said that his community involvement with youth sports in Lynnfield and his financial knowledge make him qualified for the job.?I think with my skill set and my tenacious work ethic, I?d be an excellent watchdog for our community to watch over our budget and keep us fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of our community,” said Terranova, who has lived in Lynnfield for 14 years.For Nelson,