Three looking to fill vacant Board of Selectman seat

MILTON - For the first time in many years there is truly an open selectman's seat up for grabs on Tuesday with the departure of Tom Gray.

Looking to fill his vacancy are three Milton residents, all looking to smooth the recently roiled waters of the town's ruling body.

At a recent candidates' night Larry Brown, who serves on several town boards, budget committee member Thomas McDougall and political newcomer Ryan Thibeault all laid out their plans and goals for the town if elected.

The trio seemed more in agreement than not on most town issues, including elevating the ethics and conduct of the Board of Selectmen, rooting out the Milton Three Ponds invasive weed European Naiad and making town more government more transparent.

In his campaign flyer, Brown points to years of service to the town, serving on some dozen or so town boards and volunteering in the Town House restoration and other projects.

Brown, a frequent visitor at selectmen's meetings, outlined a six-pronged attack to increase accountability and access.

McDougall and Thibeault, who are both engineers by trade, stressed they both rely on "data" to identify and solve a problem and would lend that expertise in running the town more efficiently.

McDougall, who also runs videotaping at selectmen's, stressed the importance of tracking issues and getting more reports online on the town website.

Thibeault, who has lived in Milton since 2015 and has of late also been a frequent visitor at selectmen's meetings, said he sees a need for a change in town and wants to make a positive impact.

Thibeault said it's important to change the image of the Board of Selectmen in order to gain the trust and respect it needs to function.