The town of Salem has always been justifiably proud of its citizen volunteers. Evoking its Connecticut Yankee heritage as a rural community, the town has managed its affairs with a small but experienced staff in Town Hall and the library and with two volunteer fire departments — all backed up by veteran volunteers whose collective experience compensates for the short list of paid employees.

Salem has also gotten used to chronic wariness between the school board (and its one school) and the finance board. The two sides agree that holding down taxes is a virtue; one side wants to keep that up, after five years of no tax rate increase; the other fears that balancing the books by continual cutting will ultimately hurt education.

Salem is right to cherish its rural character but should be looking closely at what it may be sacrificing in the way of future growth and sustainability, in both natural and human resources. Between the past two Census counts, the population shrank and average age increased. Other than senior units, however, the town has procrastinated on affordable housing that would bring in new residents who might shore up the shrinking cadre of volunteers.

Indeed, when asked about inviting new residents to town during their recent debate on theday.com, both candidates for first selectman, Democrat Hugh McKenney and Republican Edward Chmielewski, said it is not an issue. We think it is, and that the people of Salem need a leader who will look for ways to keep the town's cherished rural character without being exclusionary.

As chair of the Economic Development Commission and a selectman, Ed Chmielewski has had ample opportunity to lead in development of housing that will attract new residents. His many roles in service to the town are praiseworthy, but he appears to be open only to established ways of thinking. He may be the more systematic of the two candidates, but a system that downplays sustainabilty and growth will ultimately falter.

Hugh McKenney, who is retired from a career as a nuclear engineer at Millstone Power Plant, talks about sustainable investments rather than just holding the line on costs. He would lower town utilities costs with solar panels on paved surfaces that won't cause erosion; he would use the updating process of the Plan of Conservation and Development to seek new ideas from the community. An openness to discussion and new thinking is a preqrequisite for succesful leadership for Salem's future. The Day endorses Hugh McKenney for first selectman of Salem. 

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.