Marion Select Board incumbent Randy Parker, who is running for re-election to the position that he has held since 2018, said he hopes that he will remain on the Board for years to come.

“I think we’ve got a great team in the town of Marion,” said Parker. “Everyone does a great job, and we’ve made some great accomplishments.”

Prior to serving two terms on the Select Board, Parker held a seat on the Open Space Acquisition Commission for 14 years.

Parker, 65, moved to Marion and built his house in 1982. Also on his property is his electrical shop, which he has operated since he moved to town.

“Everything about Marion is very special,” said Parker. “You can go out in the town of Marion and dig quahogs, then on a Friday night, you can go down to the bandstand and hear the town band play. How can you beat that?”

Parker describes his style of governance as “feet on the ground.”

“If there is an issue, I go check it out personally,” said Parker. “I have to educate myself. There aren’t many days that I don’t go into town hall. I’ll go upstairs, say hello to everybody and see what is going on in the town administrator’s office.”

Parker compared the efforts of the Select Board to “looking into a crystal ball” to try and decide what is best for Marion going forward.

He said that he is a proponent of transparency with Marion residents.

“I’m all for full exposure,” said Parker. “Put everything on the table and let [the public] know what I know.”

Parker said he is proud of the current tax rates in Marion and additions around town such as the renovations made to town hall in 2021 to the Elizabeth Taber statue in Bicentennial Park on Spring Street.

“If you go down and look at the town hall, I think that is one of things that keeps me going every single day,” said Parker. “The town hall is absolutely gorgeous, and we as a team brought that forward. It's not one member or one person, it's everybody pulling forward for the town of Marion.”

Parker said that in the future he hopes to continue to help ensure that town employees want to go to work each day.

“Wouldn't it be nice to have a crosswalk somewhere near the senior center with a flashing light to blend Route 6 with the town?” said Parker. “The vision is to make that portion of route 6 accessible to the public and still keep the heart of the village.”

“You have to enjoy the challenge and have people who want to help you,” said Parker. “You don’t see everything. It is impossible.”