Rail Trails, Sewers, Tax Overrides: Sudbury Select Board Candidates Meet

SUDBURY, MA — The two candidates vying for the lone seat on the Sudbury Select Board in the upcoming town election met for the first time over the weekend, sitting down for a wide-ranging forum covering topics like affordable housing, schools and sustainability.

The Sunday forum was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Sudbury and recorded Sunday. The forum will air throughout election season on SudburyTV, and on-demand on the SudburyTV website.

Former Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee member Radha Gargeya is challenging incumbent Charlie Russo in the March 27 election. In opening remarks, Gargeya said he's running in 2023 to continue as a public servant, and to focus on issues like schools and economic development.

"Two watch words for me are: respect and results," he said.

Russo, who won a select board seat in 2020 in a race against incumbent Patricia Brown, highlighted the upcoming Bruce Freeman Rail Trail south extension, the ongoing Fairbank Community Center and Fire Station No. 2 projects and the continued COVID-19 recovery as reasons why he's running for a second term.

The two candidates agreed on another major issue in front of voters this spring: Russo and Gargeya both support the two tax override questions on the ballot. One will allow the town to buy a new fire engine, the other will fund the Sudbury Public Schools operating budget.

"An override is never something you should do casually," Russo said, adding that both items will fun "vital, necessary services" in town. He also said the fire truck will cost more if the town waits to buy.

The 60-minute forum touched on many more topics, from the new sustainability director position — and the town's wider sustainability efforts — to a Route 20 sewer upgrade that might pave the way for future economic development. Voters can use the SudburyTV on-demand video to skip to each candidates response to 12 different topics.

The select board forum is one of three planned for this election season. A forum featuring three Goodnow Library Trustees candidates was taped March 5 and will air later. The only other contested race is for a planning board seat — but candidate John Riordan did not appear for the taping, and so no forum was recorded, per LWV policy. Associate planning board member Julie Perlman is challenging Riordan in 2023 for the seat up for election.

The Sudbury LWV is also preparing for a drop-in event for residents to meet the candidates for all town offices and both school committees. That event will take place Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. in the community room at Goodnow Library.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named John Riordan as an incumbent.