Of the three candidates for the select board, Selectman candidate Ted North is the one voters should choose if they want a change in town government.

“I’m going to look at this election as a referendum on how we run our town…as a voter, and a taxpayer, I think we can do a lot better in that regard,” he said.

North faces incumbent Jon Henry, and challenger W. Dales Jones, for one open seat on the Board of Selectmen. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Benjamin D. Cushing VFW Post on Mill Street on May 17.

For North, the $24 million, 10-year plan to fix the roads, sewers and drainage pipes in Marion’s Village will burden taxpayers, and is too expensive.

“That, to me, defies logic. We’re not rebuilding Rome here,” North said about the price tag.

The project needs to be redefined, he said, adding that more affordable options should have been explored. The first phase of the project, known as Phase 1A, targets Ryder Lane, South Street, and Spring Street over an 18-month period at a cost of $3,147,400.

North stressed fiscal responsibility at the municipal level. An estimated $4 to $7 million is available on the town’s balance sheet ready to be used for new capital spending, without needing a tax increase, North said.

However, he expected that removing those funds from the budget would be difficult, but necessary. Of Marion’s 2,400 taxpayers, North said 50 percent of them pay 80 percent of the tax burden.

Those payers, he said, will not be able to fund future capital expenditures.

“I’ve got to protect the tax base,” North said.

For three years, North has served on the Planning Board and the Marion Capital Planning Committee, where he learned about the town’s planning needs, financial situation, and capital requirements.

Additionally, the Board of Selectmen should make sure senior management positions in the town are staffed with qualified individuals.

North’s background includes executive positions with the publicly listed companies, Alcoa, Thiokol Corporation, and Carlisle Companies.  Also, North has held faculty positions, teaching law, finance, and tax issues.

If elected, he said, his career experience would be an asset for the town.

“I’ve got an extensive experience in law and finance…This will bring a dynamic to the Board of Selectmen that we don’t have at this current time,” he said.