Lenox Board of Selectmen chair running for reelection

LENOX – Board of Selectmen Chairman Kenneth L. Fowler has decided to run for reelection.

Chairman Fowler made his announcement at the board of selectmen’s last meeting, after the selectmen voted to hold town elections on April 30, the same date as the primary for the special election to fill former United States Senator John Kerry’s senate seat.

“This is my official notification that I will be seeking reelection,” said Chairman Fowler, who noted he hadn’t filed the paperwork yet.

“I’d like to stay to see finished…the jobs that are still out there,” he said in an interview with The Beacon, when asked why he’d decided to run again.

Chairman Fowler cited the completion of the town’s municipal solar project and improvements in economic development as things he’d like to see if re-elected to a second three-year term. Chairman Fowler also described being a Lenox selectmen as an honor and a privilege.

“There’s a difference between being a good citizen and a good citizen that participates,” he said, adding he’s always wanted to be the latter.

When asked what his chief focuses would be if he’s returned to office, the chairman went back to the issue of economic development.

“What I’d really like to see is us to refine the position of economic development,” said the chairman.

This refinement would include hiring an events coordinator to work with the town, chamber of commerce and local businesses on Lenox events. It would also involve working with nearby communities to make The Berkshires a destination unto itself.

“We all can draw more people to the area,” said Chairman Fowler, praising the work Pittsfield has done to make itself more attractive to tourists.

On what he’s most proud of in his first term, the chairman cited economic development and being open with and available to his constituents, before settling on being able to associate himself with Lenox’s employees.

“My greatest accomplishment is to be identified with these kinds of people,” said Chairman Fowler, singling out the fire and police departments specifically.

On his biggest disappointment, he cited the lawsuit against the town over the Kennedy Park Belvedere.

“You wish that you could just sit down with people and work things out,” said the chairman.

On the Belvedere itself, Chairman Fowler said he wished he and the board had gone about the process of approving it in a different way.

“If I could go back and do it all over again I would do it differently,” he said.

At the same time, Chairman Fowler said that while he would change how the approval process had been handled, saying he wished there’d been more public input, he was still a supporter of the Belvedere.

“The overall upgrade…in my opinion, is beautiful,” he said.

As for the 20 citizens filing the lawsuit, Chairman Fowler said he thinks they are all good people and wishes the debate hadn’t entered the legal realm.

“It’s unfortunate that it got pushed to a lawsuit level,” he said.

As for his reelection campaign, Chairman Fowler expects to be challenged for his seat, the only one on Lenox’s five-person select board up for election this year.

“I would be surprised if I ran unopposed,” said the chairman.

As for what his pitch to voters will be, Chairman Fowler said he’d be running on his record.

“I haven’t played any games, I’ve been upfront with what I feel,” he said.

So far, no candidates have announced they will be challenging Chairman Fowler.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on February 28, 2013. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry