MARION — Candidate John Hoagland was first elected to the Marion Select Board in 1986 at the age of 29 and went on to serve two terms. Now Hoagland is running in the Friday, May 16 election to return to the Board to address many of the same issues he believes still burden Marion nearly 40 years later.

“There are a good number of folks who remember my service from 1986 to 1992 and as far as I can tell, they liked me then and they’re willing to roll the dice and support me this time,” said Hoagland.

He is focused on resolving infrastructure issues in Marion, noting that the number one issue voters share with him is the need for road repairs.

Hoagland was especially impacted by a resident who told him that her son won’t drive down Front Street with his baby in the car because the bumpiness of the road always wakes up his child.

“The roads are in bad shape and I have experience getting them fixed and need to focus on that,” said Hoagland.

During his time on the Select Board, he helped the town repair Front Street and he hopes to fix this area once again if elected.

Issues with the water and sewer system are a top priority for Hoagland.

“We need to be more upfront with them about what water and sewer rates are, why they are the rate that they are today and what we should be looking at in the next two or three years,” said Hoagland.

He emphasized that water bills are too high and said the town should address the issue with voter perspectives in mind.

A primary concern for Hoagland is creating infrastructure and housing suitable for senior residents.

“The burning issue in my mind is that over 45% of our population are over the age of 62. When I look around, we’re really not focusing on what we need to do to keep our citizens in Marion,” he said.

The lack of suitable living spaces for senior residents and inaccessibility of the existing buildings makes it difficult for Marion senior residents to stay in town, according to Hoagland.

“It is the role of [the] government to take care of all of our citizens,” he said.

Regarding the potential $3.7 million Town House renovation project, he believes that the town should wait to start construction and focus on prioritizing roads.

“If people want to increase their taxes for the next 20 years, I’d rather do it on the roads now,” said Hoagland.

He showed support for the potential creation of the historic district, stating that the town could benefit from preserving its historical roots. 

“I think there’s over 150 communities in Massachusetts that have a historic district. It’s not something weird. It’s not something radical,” said Hoagland.

Hoagland has a Bachelor of Arts in English history from Colgate University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School. 

Much of his career experience is in marketing and sales management. He currently works at Pepsico in Southeastern Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island.

“This is our family’s home,” Hoagland said of Marion, explaining he enjoys that his loved ones can walk to the beach, play golf and eat fresh fish.“[These are] all the things that make Marion just a neat place to live.”