Four Candidates Vie for Two Select Board Seats in Scituate Election
Candidates present diverse backgrounds and priorities at Chamber of Commerce forum
SCITUATE - May 22 - Four candidates seeking two open seats on the Scituate Select Board presented their qualifications and positions on key town issues during a candidate forum hosted by the Scituate Chamber of Commerce and Historical Society.
The event, held despite stormy weather, gave voters a chance to hear from Dr. Nicolai Afanasenko, David Dauphinee, Maryanne Lewis, and Freya Schlegel ahead of the May 31 town election.
Each candidate brings a different background and perspective to the race, with discussions focusing on affordable housing, town finances, infrastructure needs, and committee priorities.
### Dr. Nicolai Afanasenko
Dr. Afanasenko, a chiropractor who has lived in Scituate for 22 years with his wife and three children, emphasizes his commitment to fiscal responsibility and community engagement.
"One of the things I really want to do is make sure that we're fiscally responsible in our town and make sure that as we go forward we continue to balance the idea between smart and managed growth, providing for our town's people, providing affordability for them to stay here," Afanasenko says.
If elected, he plans to hold regular office hours in different neighborhoods, including areas like Humarock and North Scituate that "sometimes feels like they don't have enough attention."
Afanasenko previously served on the planning board and the chamber of commerce board for nine years, including two as president. He expresses interest in serving as liaison to the planning board, economic development commission, conservation commission, and school committee.
On the Gates School housing proposal, Afanasenko supports exploring affordable housing options while ensuring thorough community input.
"We need probably 30 more public meetings all over town to even come up with the questions we need to ask," he says, noting the town needs 262 more affordable housing units to reach the state-mandated 10 percent threshold.
### David Dauphinee
Dauphinee represents five generations in Scituate, having lived and worked in town for 54 years. His experience includes commercial fishing, auto body repair, and currently serving as captain of his own lobster boat in Scituate Harbor.
"I've lived and worked in Scituate for 54 years. I started working at my dad's lobster boat when I was seven," Dauphinee says, highlighting his deep roots in the community.
His volunteer experience includes serving as a Girl Softball assistant coach, Cub Scout den leader, and participating on the Scituate Shellfish Advisory Board and Waterways Commission.
Dauphinee believes his perspective as someone who has worked in town for over five decades brings a valuable viewpoint to the board. He describes himself as someone who can "bring people together and to negotiate," noting that "a fulfilling negotiation in the end is when both bodies walk away slightly dissatisfied."
On town finances, Dauphinee states that an override "should be the very last option on any kind of funding," emphasizing that "everything should be looked at, everything should be vetted" before considering tax increases.
### Maryanne Lewis
Lewis brings over 35 years of private and public sector experience, including service as a Massachusetts state representative, work on municipal finance boards and housing authorities, and current employment with the state auditor's office.
"With two vacancies creating a 40 percent turnover on the board, I believe experience is important to understanding and balancing the challenges that lie ahead," Lewis says.
Her family has connections to Scituate dating back nearly 100 years, and she has owned a home on Lighthouse Road for 25 years.
Lewis identifies coastal resiliency, affordability, and aging infrastructure as key concerns she's heard while campaigning. She opposes operational budget overrides, stating, "Individual households have to learn how to live within their budgets, and I think government entities should do the same."
On the North Scituate sewer project, Lewis strongly supports the infrastructure improvement to help attract businesses.
### Freya Schlegel
Schlegel, a small business owner with a practice in North Scituate Village, has lived in town since 1997. Her children attended local schools, and she has been an advocate for clean water since 2018.
"My passion is for Scituate," Schlegel says, outlining priorities that include ensuring clean drinking water, protecting natural resources, supporting local food producers, and working on coastal resiliency.
Schlegel has served on the Water Resource Commission since 2020, where she helped reinstate the rain barrel program, wrote and passed the outdoor water use bylaw, and implemented a rebate program for water-saving appliances.
She describes herself as persistent in seeking answers, saying, "One of my skill sets is that I'm a big PIA. I just peck away until I get the answers that I want."
On the Gates School housing proposal, Schlegel supports affordable housing "if it's truly affordable," but notes there are "a lot of issues that we don't have the full numbers on" regarding infrastructure costs.
The town election is scheduled for May 31, with voters selecting two candidates to fill the open select board positions.