Seekonk Selectmen Candidate Profiles – Part 1: Candidates Seeking Re-election

The race for the Board of Selectmen in Seekonk has four candidates vying for two available three-year seats. Incumbents David Parker and Gary Sagar are being challenged by David Viera and Jeffrey Starr Mararian.

Here are profiles of the incumbents:

David Parker
David Parker is seeking his third term on the board of selectmen. Parker has been involved in town government since 1976. He was a member of RTM, served on the charter study commission and town personnel board. He also served as town moderator for 15 years before being elected selectman.  “I felt I could do more for the town as selectman than moderator. I like what I do now. I want to go for another term,” Parker said.

When Parker first ran for selectmen, he says he wanted to accomplish several projects, including renovating the Banna Fire Station, putting an addition on the Animal Shelter and building a Senior Center. Those projects are either complete (Banna Fire Station) or currently under development. The Banna Fire Station held a ribbon cutting on February 26 and the new station is now open and will be staffed with two firefighters 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Parker supported the Animal Shelter for years before he became selectmen. He and his wife, Jan, who has served as Town Clerk for many years, are both animal lovers. Jan founded the Save-a-Pet Society 20 years ago. Parker came up with the idea for the Save-a-Pet Society’s annual auction after seeing a fund-raising auction in Rhode Island on television. “I said ‘why can’t we do that here?’” Parker said. “We’ll build up a fund and offer that money to the town.” Those funds are now going to the construction of an addition to the Animal Shelter. Engineering plans for the addition are currently being drawn up.

Construction of a new Seekonk Senior Center is also underway. Last fall, selectmen approved the purchase of the building at the corner of Taunton Avenue and Arcade Avenue to be used for the senior center. The Senior Center building committee is currently working on architectural plans for the project.

Parker also spearheaded the creation of an economic development committee to attract new businesses to town. The committee was created about six months ago and Parker says they are contacting people and trying to build interest in Seekonk among the business community. Town meeting recently approved $10,000 for the committee to create a professional brochure on the town to help attract new business.

Parker points out that Seekonk has the lowest tax rate in Bristol County and it is mostly due to the Route 6 business district. “Route 6 is our golden cow and we need to take care of it,” Parker says. He adds that three new restaurants are opening in Seekonk. Parker says it is important to maintain a low tax rate in town and he will continue to work to maintain it. “Keeping the tax rate down and business growing is important. I want to keep that balance going,” Parker said.

Supporting volunteerism in town is something Parker has always advocated. He says the town has a “tremendous volunteer force.” “I’ve always said that the quality of life is determined more by the volunteers than the politicians,” Parker said. The town would not be the same without all the people who volunteer at churches, Little League and other sports, the library, working with the elderly and more, he says.

Parker says he’s looking forward to continuing to work for the town. “As long as I’m able to give back, I want to give back,” Parker said.


Gary Sagar
Gary Sagar is seeking his second term on the board of selectmen. Sagar served on the Attleboro Fire Department for more than 20 years and was a call firefighter in Seekonk for many years. He also served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for more than twelve years and is an active member of the Seekonk Lions Club.

Sagar has been heavily involved in several building projects in town during his first term including the Banna Fire Station and the acquisition and permitting for the new Senior Center. His involvement began before he was elected as selectman. In 2009 he was appointed by the Board of Selectman as a volunteer consultant to the Town Administrator and Fire Chief to help establish fire stations in the north and south ends of town. Also in 2009, Sagar organized a group of building professionals for former town administrator Michael Carroll to evaluate options for a new Senior Center.

Sagar is seeking re-election “to continue with others the progress we have accomplished for the town.” Other accomplishments he points to are helping to get a traffic light installed on Route 44 in front of the entrance to the public safety complex. The contract for the project has been awarded and the light is expected to be installed in the spring.  “This light has been in the works for 10 years; it will assist our public safety departments and help with the traffic on Route 44 and Arcade Avenue,” he said.

If elected, he wants to pursue several projects, including a new fire station in the south end of town. He says the building on County Street is old and in disrepair. He believes that the town should start planning for a new facility now because this type of project takes time. “We are going to start discussing possible locations for a new South Station at the second selectmen’s meeting in March, based in part on a study by our public safety departments utilizing computer generated maps of our incidents” Sagar said.

Another project that Sagar wants to work on is the elimination of fees to our children for the use of town recreational fields. Town sports teams currently pay a fee to use the fields, according to Sagar. “We are charging an improper fee to our children for use of town fields that taxpayers own and pay for,” Sagar said.

Sagar also wants to expand busing for seniors. He says that the town is currently assessed $95,000 for GATRA, but receives minimal service; he’d like to see the service increased and  restored to prior levels.  “Our Seniors deserve and need this service,” added Sagar.

Keeping residential taxes down is also a goal for Sagar, but he says there must be a balance between supporting businesses in the community and residential taxpayers.  “Expansion of the commercial/industrial base is paramount to maintaining our low residential tax rates,” Sagar said. “Of the 100% valuation of real estate in town, 75% is residential and they pay 60% of the taxes. While 25% of the real estate is commercial and industrial, but they are assessed 40%,” Sagar said. “For residents, it’s a great thing, but we have to be careful we don’t overtax the businesses or they’ll go elsewhere and that will be detrimental to the long term interests of the town,” he continued.