PEABODY — The deadline has passed for candidates to pull papers for upcoming city elections — and there is definitely one race to keep an eye on.
The contest that could be the most contentious is a six-candidate race for two open seats on the Peabody Municipal Light Commission. The candidates are Thomas Paras and Robert Wheatley, who are running for reelection, and challengers Raymond Melvin, MaryBeth Mallia, Tracy Valletti and Joel Brenner.
Peabody Municipal Light Plant (PMLP) manager Charles Orphanos believes that it is a great thing to have so many people running for the commission.”It’s an election process, so it’s a fair and even process,” said Orphanos. “I think that’s a wonderful process.”
Project 2015A, which would install a peaker plant in the city, has been a point of contention among residents. Some have been outspoken against the plant, but Orphanos doesn’t believe that this factor has led to an increase in candidates running against Paras and Wheatley.
“I know three out of the four people that took out papers aside from the incumbents,” Orphanos said. “One of them (Raymond Melvin) ran last year or two years ago for a commission seat and he was not successful his last time around. I believe one of the other ones (MaryBeth Mallia), their name has been around the city for a while. Her husband owns a local towing company and I believe she might have even ran for city council a few years back, and Joel Brenner has come to many commission meetings over the past several years.”
Wheatley has been involved with the light plant for 24 years and also doesn’t believe that the increase in candidates can be tied to the 2015A project.
“I have no idea because I don’t associate with any of these people that are running,” Wheatley said. “The only one (I know) would be the other incumbent that’s running (Thomas Paras), he and I would probably agree on most of the stuff. I have no idea why they (the other candidates) are running.”
The PMLP’s main duties involve playing a part in setting rates for the city as well as looking for sustainable energy sources for Peabody.
