MATTAPOISETT— Three candidates are running to fill one spot on the Mattapoisett Select Board in the town election on Tuesday, May 16.

Tyler Macallister is running for what he believes will be his last term on the board where he hopes to see the long awaited repairs to Long Wharf come to fruition.

“The waterfront has been one of my favorite things about this town,” he said. “It brought me here.”

In addition to serving on the board for over eight years, Macallister also works as a commercial fishing captain, a fisheries liaison for wind turbine companies and is an owner of a solar company on Cape Cod.

Macallister said that he has worked with other Select Board members, the town administrator and Finance Committee to stabilize the town’s financial health since he joined the Select Board in 2011.

“If we didn't all work together, we wouldn't be where we are fiscally right now,” he said. “The whole idea of stabilization is to smooth out the bumps.”

Since joining the Select Board, Mcallister has succeeded in bringing Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) to Mattapoisett.

“A big chunk of those are through Plymouth County, but there's also a chunk of those that are on the town, so we looked at it from a town perspective,” he said.

According to Macallister, Mattapoisett now has a AAA bond rating, which means that the town “can borrow more money on big projects because we're paying less in interest.”

According to Macallister, he worked with Select Board member Jordan Collyer and previous Town Administrator Paul Silva to improve the town’s financial health.

“The key to a town being healthy is stabilization,” he said.

As an example, he pointed to the construction of the town’s new fire station where they did not take on new debt before older debts were paid.

Macallister also hopes to see the town expand services for seniors in the next five years.

“The largest faction of our town is supported by the smallest budget,” said Macallister. “At some point the demand for services for the Council on Aging is going to skyrocket and we've been discussing how to address that every year.”

Revamping town hall is also on Macallister’s “to-do” list.

“It's been held together by chicken wire [and] bubble gum for years,” he said.

Macallister said that Mattapoisett’s greatest strength is its community.

“There are a lot of genuine people,” he said.

Macallister is facing Catherine Heuberger and Brian Connelly for a seat on the Mattapoisett Select Board in the town election on Tuesday, May 16.