As current Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Patrick Tropeano feels he has the experience necessary for another term.

Involved in town politics since 1996, Tropeano has served on a variety of committees including the Charter Rewrite Committee. He has been a Selectman for three years, and his position is up for re-election in April.

Though he wasn't born in Wareham, Tropeano said he spent every childhood summer in this town. He became a full time resident nearly 38 years ago, making a living as a landscaper.

Tropeano said the current Board of Selectmen, which includes Judith Whiteside, Stephen M. Holmes, Alan Slavin, and Peter Teitelbaum, “has really worked well together.”

“We all respect each other, we all fight the issues, we all agree to disagree sometimes, but we've really turned a lot of things around in this town," Tropeano said. "I think anybody who's watching will have to tell you that's true. I want to see that continue. We've come a long way, but we got a long way to go yet.”

The biggest issues the Board faces, in Tropeano's opinion, are raising money for the town and proper commercial growth.

“Our board is trying to find new sources of revenue,” Tropeano said. “The biggest thing I can do is try to stabilize our financial security.”

He said that commercial expansion is a key tool to bring revenue into the town, and “the good kind of growth for us” since it brings recurring money from taxes. However, he also believes commercial growth should stick to areas that are already commercial, such as Wareham Crossing.

He said that this is the first year the board has had a good budget process and agrees upon all of the issues. Though that doesn't necessarily mean that the town will have all the services the Selectmen think it should have, it does solidify the fact that the board came together to fully support a budget, according to Tropeano.

Still, he realizes that holding his position doesn't guarantee authority, nor does he consider himself an integral part of municipal government.

“I can't say that without me, this isn't going to work,” he said. “It'll continue to work and it'll keep going on. How it will go and which direction it will go in, will change.”

Tropeano became more involved in Wareham's government after a pivotal moment in his life. About six years ago, Tropeano's wife and five of his eight children were involved in a serious car accident. His then-nine-year-old daughter, Catherine Tropeano, was in critical condition. The positive and supportive response their family received from the community has affected Tropeano so much that he feels indebted to the people of Wareham.

“It's just something that I feel that I owe the town,” Tropeano said.

When he isn't busy taking care of his family, performing contracted supervising construction, or conducting Selectmen business, Tropeano said he enjoys sitting in cafes and meeting people. He said there are a lot of people who don't know him at all, and he finds that “kinda neat.” He said he takes these opportunities to inform and explain certain town issues to residents who may be upset about them.

“You don't make a big deal about it,” he said. “They have their own issues and their everyday lives.”

Tropeano said he hopes to serve his community for another three years and offer his experience to Wareham's residents.

“I'm much more comfortable in my skin and about this job than I ever was.”