Meet Mattapoisett Select Board candidate James Harlfinger

MATTAPOISETT — After living in Mattapoisett for 77 years, James Harlfinger wants to preserve what makes the town special and be an on-call resource for residents.

Harlfinger is among six candidates on the ballot for three open seats on the Select Board, one vacated by former chair Tyler Macalister as he runs for Congress and two newly added this year. 

He spent 27 years serving in the town’s fire department and 37 years providing technical support for employees at a former newspaper publisher. During that time, he said he learned the importance of always being available to help others. 

“I understand the need of being available 24 hours a day,” Harlfinger said. “Everybody has different needs, so you need to be always available.” 

Now that he’s retired, Harlfinger said he has more time to serve residents of the town and wants to be available any time to answer questions and solve problems. 

He also wants to honor the town’s history and ensure any future developments preserve the town’s character. He pointed to Town Hall as an example, and said if rebuilt the town should mandate the building match the style of other historic buildings in the area. 

“As the old saying goes, ‘Mattapoisett is special,’” he said. “There's a lot of history here, and as we move forward, we need to address the historical part of it.”

If elected, Harlfinger said making people feel heard would be his top priority. He said his years of responding to issues at both the fire department and the newspaper prepared him to quickly address problems.

He said he wants to be immideately reachable and would be willing to take calls at any time if elected. 

“I want to make sure that everybody in Mattapoisett is addressed and taken care of,” he said. “They don't work for me. I work for them. I'm there to help and do all I can.”

With experience responding to stressful situations, Harlfinger said he’s learned how to stay calm and focused when under pressure. He described himself as a laid-back leader who looks to listen to people’s problems and help them as much as possible. 

Even if he can’t immideately solve the issue, he said he aims to be a listening ear for concerned residents and do everything in his power to find them answers. 

Harlfinger said joining the Select Board would allow him to continue his family’s legacy of public service. Along with his time on the fire department, he said there are police officers, military personell and a nurse among his children and grandchildren. 

“We understand public service, we understand the needs, and we understand it's not an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job,” he said.