NORTH ATTLEBORO - Voters will have their first chance to weigh in on who should serve on the board of selectmen during next week's preliminary election.

Incumbent John Rhyno, planning board members Joan Marchitto and Christopher Sweet, former Representative Town Meeting member Walter Matthis and political newcomer David Scanlan each believe their unique experiences and backgrounds will be helpful to the town in challenging times.

The five candidates are running for two seats on the board of selectmen. The top four finishers in the Feb. 10 preliminary election will move on to compete for the seats in the April 7 town election.

Profiles of the five candidates follow in alphabetical order:

Joan Marchitto With five years of experience on the planning board, Marchitto said she has developed an understanding of how town government works, which will be an asset to the board of selectmen.

"I understand the importance of collaborating on goals and being persistent to keep those goals on the front-burner," she said.

"Being on the planning board, I see that we need a vision for more long-term planning, and we need to resolve those hot issues that are still out there. We've made some major changes on the planning board, and now I'd like to bring that knowledge about how to identify goals and make changes to the board of selectmen."

If elected, Marchitto said her top priority will be working on a prioritized financial plan. When it comes to the challenges of the budget, she said, "I think we need to go back to the department heads because they know how to best bring essential services to our residents. They know what they need."

Because permitting and growth is slow right now, Marchitto said the town has the perfect opportunity to that a look at economic growth as a whole, and making any zoning changes that might be necessary.

Marchitto said that current government reform should be a collaborative effort among town officials, boards and residents at large. She said the key is to identify what problems need to be resolved.

"I always walk out of those meetings not knowing what the problem is. It gets frustrating," she said. "We have lots of new department heads, and they are all willing to work together to make things better. They have insight brought from other towns that will help make our government work more smoothly and more efficiently."

Marchitto is in favor of a single tax rate, saying that small businesses face many challenges.

"We need to encourage small business so the downtown is full. I'd rather see the downtown filled with businesses instead of having it as a ghost town," she said.

When it comes to the "Afghans" painting, Marchitto said she felt the school committee did a good job securing the painting. However, the impasse that exists over the painting's fate needs to be resolved because it takes time away from more pressing issues. "Let's start building bridges and talking to each other," she said. "We have more difficult challenges we have to face - we're talking about the budget and securing people's jobs in a time when people are being laid off and businesses are closing down. We shouldn't still be talking about a beautiful painting."

Marchitto said her experience on the planning board will show voters what type of selectman she will be.

"I've demonstrated that I can accomplish goals. I think as a resident of the town. I look at both sides of the issues, do research about the pros and cons and then make the best decision for the town of North Attleboro as a whole," she said.

"I'll bring leadership, I'll be fair and I'll bring a breath of fresh air to the board," she said.

Walter Matthis

As a retired businessman, Matthis said he will have the time to offer voters something they are currently lacking - a full-time selectman.

"I feel there's a need in town for people to step forward and be proactive," he said. "I'm the only one who will be a full-time selectmen. I will be at town hall every day, and people will be able to see me face to face. I'm fully committed to being there with the town administrator to help people with whatever they need. I will be able to talk them to a department on that day to get help."

Matthis said his top priority encompasses the "four c's" of his campaign - change, commitment, communication and cooperation.

Matthis said government reform efforts should focus on increasing involvement and making other tweaks to the current form of government.

"I feel our basic type of government is pretty good. I'm in love with the RTM portion of it, though I think it needs a bit of a makeover. I lived under a mayor and town council in the past, and when I moved here, the RTM just blew me away. To me, that's real democracy because it provides checks and balances for what happens in this town."

When it comes to the economy, Matthis said the town will need some "belt-tightening" because of cuts in aid from the state. Relying on volunteers for could help the bottom line. He said selectmen need to go through the budget line item by line item to find places to cut money, while at the same time protecting essential services.

"We can't hurt police and fire. We need good schools and we need to help seniors. But there are areas that can be cut - maybe looking at whether some jobs can be done by part-time personnel instead of full-time and trying to make our equipment go one more year before it is replaced," he said.

Matthis worked for Texaco for 35 years and has experience as a substitute teacher as well, which he said gives him a good perspective for both the school side and town side of government.

Matthis pledged to improve communication, suggesting that selectmen host monthly meetings with residents and business groups and possibly publishing a weekly newsletter to let residents know what is going on.

He emphasized the need for greater cooperation, saying that the "Afghans" painting should not have been shipped out of town after hanging in the Community School for so long. He called for meetings between the school committee and selectmen to further discuss the issue.

Matthis said he prefers a single tax rate, saying "I wouldn't want to put an undue burden on businesses, especially right now."

John Rhyno

Rhyno is seeking a fourth term on the board of selectmen because he wants to continue helping residents get through the maze of town government.

"There is a lot of work that needs to be done," he said. "The people in North Attleboro need an advocate, and I feel like I've tried to fill that role by having office hours and meeting with people everyday," he said.

"I'd like to think that most people don't feel intimidated by me, and that they know I'm here to help them."

Rhyno said his top priority will be reviewing town government and implementing plans to improve efficiency and cut costs if possible. He said that improving accountability is the top issue for government reform.

"I think we need one person in charge. I can honestly say that it doesn't matter to me if that person is appointed or elected. What matters is that we have one person who can meet with department heads, and that is the person the buck stops with," he said.

Another top challenge facing the town is the dealing with tight budgets and Rhyno said he believed that forming a partnership between officials, department heads and employees is crucial to making the right decisions.

"We need to get the real solid numbers and react accordingly," he said. "I'm confident the people in our unions will work very hard with management to assure as many jobs stay and services are delivered in a timely manner. Everyone's going to pull together and work hard to so we can get through this."

Rhyno also said the town is fortunate to have $2.7 million in its rainy day fund.

"I think that's a lot better than most communities," he said. "Once we get through this, we have to remember to replenish the stabilization account so it can be a bridge the next time there is an economic downtown like this."

When it comes to the tax rate, Rhyno has voted in favor of both dual and single rates, depending on the economic climate at the time. He most recently voted in favor of a dual rate, saying he makes a decision based on what is best for the entire community.

Rhyno is not in favor of selling the "Afghans" painting, saying, "It's considered a public trust in any court of law. It's not about keeping it or selling it to me - it's about the wishes of the donor family who are very opposed to selling it."

David Scanlan

While it is his first time running for political office, Scanlan said he has plenty to offer to help improve the town.

"I felt it was time to give back to the town and a good way to share my business and life experience would be running for an impactful position as a member of the board of selectmen," he said. "I'm not a traditional politician. I'm not afraid to ruffle some feathers. I think we can all work together in a cooperative effort to get the job done and help the citizens of North Attleboro."

Scanlan said his top priority would be to improve the transparency and openness of town government.

"We should be using technology to put all minutes on the Web and make sure that residents are aware of what their government is doing," he said.

When it comes to government reform, Scanlan said his preference would be to leave everything as is because, "We are not in a financial position to make any changes right now unless they are going to result in cost savings and greater efficiency."

Scanlan said he believes one of the town's biggest problem is communication among departments.

"I've managed people from all different cultures and backgrounds for 30 years. The key is to get everyone in a room so we they can talk about what's going on," he said.

Scanlan said he is very concerned about the town's financial circumstances, saying that the town should be budgeting tax collections at a lower figure than is expected to come in.

""Really our biggest change is going to be with economics," Scanlan said. "We need to come up with new ways to provide the services that help maintain our quality of life in town. If we think we're going to collect 98 percent, we should be budgeting at 95 percent. Another way to help the finance piece is by attracting more businesses to enhance our tax revenues."

When it comes to the "Afghans" painting, Scanlan said now is not the time to sell it

"This is not the time to sell art - the whole market for it has crashed. That gives us plenty of time to figure out who owns what and what we need to do next."

Scanlan is in favor of having a single tax rate, saying it is fair to have both businesses and residents paying the same rate.

Christopher Sweet

With past service on the planning board, finance committee and Representative Town Meeting, Christopher Sweet said he has a working knowledge of government and budgets that will be helpful to the town. He said the town needs to refocus its efforts on important issues.

"I was initially prompted to run because I was tired of seeing the name North Attleboro dragged into the media for negative reasons like "Afghans" or Hickory Woods. I'd like to remove these thorns and put these issues behind us so we can move onto more important issues. I'd like to see us in the paper for the right things."

Sweet, who spent four years on the finance committee and works as a financial services professional, said his background will be helpful as the town addresses its financial challenges.

"This is a very tough budget period, and I have the background to help with it. I know the lingo - I'll be able to hit the ground running. I won't need a primer on government finance," he said.

If elected, Sweet said his top priority will be to preserve jobs and make cuts where possible. To help deal with a tight budget, Sweet said non-essential items should be looked at very carefully, such as cell phone use.

Before launching into government reform, Sweet said the town needs to build consensus about what that reform should be. He said any changes should be aimed at saving money, increasing efficiency and improving openness - much of which could be done through bylaw changes. Sweet also believes that Representative Town Meeting should shrink to the point where competitive races are common.

Sweet is in favor of the single tax rate, as the most fair for businesses and residents of the town.

When it comes to the "Afghans" painting, Sweet said the town should be focusing its efforts on more important issues at this time.

"The art market has gone to hell, there's really no reason to consider selling it right now. I think we should give Mr. Thompson his due by providing recognition for his gift to the town. Only with consent of the family should we sell the painting and create a trust that would use the interest to help students in performing arts, music and fine arts programs," he said.

Sweet said he will be an asset to the board because he will make decisions in the best interest of residents.

"I'm an independent thinker and I owe no allegiance to anyone but the constituents," Sweet said. "I truly enjoy serving the town. I like working to improve our general lot in life and making government more efficient and accountable."

AMY DeMELIA can be reached at 508-236-0334 or at ademelia@thesunchronicle.com.