Bradford Morse and Michael Murphy are running for one seat on the Rochester Board of Selectmen in the town's annual election, April 13. Read about Murphy here.

Incumbent Bradford Morse, 50, already has nine years serving on the board and is hoping voters will keep him on for another term.

“I was brought up with strong values towards giving back to your community,” said Morse, a fifth generation cranberry grower who grew up in Marion and Wareham.

Morse, a father of two grown sons, served as a volunteer fireman in Wareham for more than two decades and was also a long-time member of the Rochester Planning Board.

During his time on the Board of Selectmen, Morse said he’s been very involved with the towns finances, taking a “very conservative approach to using the tax dollars, protecting the taxpayers rights, landowner rights with development and that type of stuff.”

Morse said he’s proud of the fact that the town has been able to maintain services to residents in a trying economy and with reduced aid from the state. Other improvements during his time on the board include work to preserve the Town Hall.

“We did some minor repairs but it was pretty expensive work on the town hall two years ago to save the structure basically,” he said. “You have to maintain what you have.”

He also cited bringing on town counsel as an in-house position.

“It’s saving us a fortune,” he said.

Looking ahead, Morse said he wants to keep the town’s finances stable as well as play a part in the ongoing discussion of what to do with the Town Hall and Town Annex.

He said, “I think it’s important to keep a very conservative look so we don’t overspend. If the taxpayers decide to move forward with it, it’s a project that’s needed.”