Fifty-two people came to the first Candidates Night in Dresden on June 4.  The three candidates for first selectman, including incumbent Chairman Dale Hinote and challengers John Ottum, president of the Historical Society, and Trudy Foss, former administrative assistant for the town, talked about their ideas and goals for the town.

They also took questions from residents, who asked about topics ranging from the hours at the town office to disaster preparedness.

Resident Gary Blau, who suggested the idea, moderated the discussion.

“We’re here to restart a tradition,” Blau said. “We’re looking to increase voter turnout, as out of 1,300 registered voters, last year only 284 came out.”

Candidates began the evening by making their opening remarks and talking about the projects they felt were most important for the town.

“I’ve lived in this town 38 years, and spent 17 years as a selectman,” Ottum said. “When I started we didn’t have the town office or even the salt shed.”

Ottum spoke about keeping taxes low while fixing up local historic buildings such as the town hall, building a veteran’s memorial, and keeping locals better informed about events in town, possibly through the use of LED signs on major roads.

“I’ve lived here 34 years and worked for the town for 30 years,” Foss said. “I’m running on a platform of lower taxes and bringing our community together again.”

Foss spoke about keeping the town “in good running order” and making it so residents can make one trip to the town office for their needs instead of having to return several times. She also discussed her concerns about local range ways and the education budget, and the fact that such a huge budget only has about 15 or 20 people voting on it yearly.

“I grew up here, left for 20 years, and then came back,” Hinote said. “I earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s in history. I’ve taught in universities, worked for both the state and federal government. I bring a unique perspective to the role.”

Hinote spoke about making Dresden a “balanced” community, where people of all incomes and backgrounds can “come together and prosper.” He also talked about more community involvement in the school board and fire department, and keeping the tax base reasonable while bringing more resources into town.

“My grandfather was able to walk across the street and buy a TV,” Hinote said. “Now, you have to drive 15 miles to do anything … or watch other people speed through our town, driving to wherever they are going.”

Rick Graffam asked about separating business from personal issues and ensuring they talked to all parties involved when issues came up. All three candidates said they would.

Deb Burki asked why the tax rate was the same as before the real estate market crashed years ago. Hinote said Dresden has one of the lowest rates in the area. Ottum said he recently sold his home for $285,000, $5,000 under the assessed value.

Ryan and Nancy Cote asked about enticing local businesses to the area. Ottum suggested forming a capital improvement group. Hinote suggested putting Ryan Cote in charge of it, to general laughter and applause.

After about an hour and a half of discussion, Blau asked for closing remarks. After the meeting, many residents stayed behind to talk one-on-one with the candidates.

“I was thrilled by the turnout,” Blau said. “We all got to hear from each candidate, see their strengths and weaknesses and maybe help people make a decision on who they want to vote for.”

“I was glad to see this many people turn out,” Hinote said. “The select board meets every other Monday. I encourage everyone to come.” The next meeting is June 11.

Foss and Ottum were both deep in conversations with residents after the event concluded.