Wareham Week spoke to each of the four candidates for the Board of Selectmen ahead of the town election. Two seats are available, and the top two vote-getters will be elected. For links to profiles of the other candidates, click here. 

Incumbent candidate Peter Teitelbaum said his experience will bring stability to the Board of Selectmen as the town works to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Teitelbaum, a lawyer, grew up in Wareham and has lived here for the vast majority of his life. He was first elected to the board in 2012.

“Especially with this pandemic going on, I think we need stability on the Board of Selectmen, and I think my experience with the town and how the government operates will be helpful in our recovery,” Teitelbaum said.

Teitelbaum is also the chair of the Redevelopment Authority, which is working to revitalize Wareham economically and promote development.

In both his roles, Teitelbaum said he will work to help support small businesses through the pandemic.

“This is something that nobody alive has really faced, in terms of what shutdowns do to local economies,” Teitelbaum said. “Both as a selectman and as someone on the RDA, I think recovery from the pandemic has to be the first and foremost goal of both boards.”

The Redevelopment Authority will also be reevaluating their plans for the town. Teitelbaum said that the board will be asking consultants to re-work plans for Wareham Village, Onset Village, industrial space, and the commercial strips on Rte. 6 and Rte. 28, which were the areas selected as having potential for growth.

Teitelbaum said that as the town works to reckon with its newly reduced budget, the selectmen will be working closely with Town Administrator Derek Sullivan to determine what services the town can provide.

“We’re not a wealthy town, and there are a lot of demands placed on us,” Teitelbaum said.

He noted that the Selectmen’s role is to create policies, not to supervise the day-to-day work of running the town.

“I see the role of the selectmen as the offensive line. We should block for the town administrator and government -- the full-time professionals who are there to do the actual work -- and try to move obstacles so they can succeed,” he said.

Teitelbaum said that his training as a lawyer has been helpful to the board, and noted that he often works closely with Town Counsel Richard Bowen.