Great Barrington — A majority of candidates running for office for this year’s annual town elections, which will be held on Tuesday, May 14, are incumbents.
This includes the two Selectboard members once again running for reelection: Eric Gabriel and Garfield Reed. The two Selectboard members, both Democrats, were first elected in May 2021. They are both running unopposed for seats with three-year terms.
Gabriel is an electrical contractor who lives in Housatonic, while Reed grew up in Danbury, Conn., and has lived in Great Barrington for 45 years.
For the Library Trustees, Patrick Hollenbeck is running for reelection. However, Carol McGlinchy is not running for reelection for her Library Trustee seat, and Laura Mars is running to take her place. Both Hollenbeck and Mars are running for seats with three-year terms.
Current trustee Robert Schaeffer, whose term was supposed to expire in 2026, has decided to step down from his seat. Sharon Shaloo is running to serve for the remainder of his term.
The only other person who is not an incumbent candidate is William Brinker, who is running for Constable, a three-year position currently filled by John Broderick, who is not seeking reelection.
Other incumbents running for their seats include:
- Town Moderator Michael Wise, one-year term.
- Board of Health member Peter Stanton, three-year term.
- Constable Walter “Buddy” Atwood, three-year term.
- Finance Committee members Richard Geller and Phillip Orenstein, three-year terms.
- Housing Authority member Eileen Mooney, five-year term.
- Planning Board member Pedro Pachano, three-year term.
- Zoning Board of Appeals members Stephen McAlister and Madonna Meagher, five-year terms.
- Prudential Committee members William Brinker and William Foster, three-year terms.
