Next week's April 1 election will feature one contested seat on the five-member Housing Authority board that oversees senior housing in the town of Wareham. The two contestants for the open three-year term are former property manager Donna Bronk, and Agawam Village resident Henry Fernandes.

Bronk, who has lived in Wareham since 1968, started as a regional property manager in with Federal Management Inc. in 1975 and has worked in the housing industry all over Massachusetts, from Pinewoods in Wareham (now Woods of Wareham) to managing a 2,000 unit complex in Boston.

"No one is more qualified for this position than I am," Bronk said.

Bronk served two terms on the town's Finance Committee and was the chairman for two years. The Selectmen unanimously recommended her for the governor-appointed Housing Authority position in August, but the governor appointed Jane Donahue to that position.

Fernandes has lived in Wareham his entire life, and lived at Agawam Village -one of the two properties the Housing Authority oversees along with Redwood Park- for the past five years.

Fernandes is the resident liaison to the Housing Authority and attends every meeting. He said he spends 15 to 20 minutes every morning speaking to board members answering their questions or asking some of his own.

He worked in construction for decades as a foreman, superintendent, and engineer on projects as large as the statehouse in Rhode Island.

"If we get the money for improvements and we have contractors here you need someone with an eye for what is going on," he said.

He said what he wants to see most for the the senior housing is progress in construction. He said he would like to see 8 to 16 new units as well as plumbing repairs to two buildings in Agawam Village. "Progress is slow because of the money coming in slow," he said. Fernandes said he has talked to people from the state Department of Housing and Community Development and expects them to come through with funds they have promised the Housing Authority.

Bronk said the DHCD hasn't done their job in years, and on the Housing Authority she would hold their feet to the flames to do their part. She said she personally knows Judy Weber, the lead consultant for DHCD and said, "they are embarrassed at how they've treated Wareham."

Bronk said she is frustrated most by the lack of capital planning by the Housing Authority. She said she would get a good five-year plan in place, be productive and get inspections done annually.

"I know how to occupy and run a building and keep the state housing authority and U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development happy," she said.

She added, "Regulations change all the time so it's important to keep up. It's critical to the Housing Authority to have a person who knows how to seek grants and get funding."

Fernandes said he is always on the scene and has practical construction knowledge for the position.

"I have experience to know if someone is building something wrong," he said. Fernandes added he already works closely with the board as a liaison, "If I get the position I'll have a vote. I'm the missing link."

The town election is on April 1 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.