RANGELEY – Three candidates are vying for two selectmen’s seats in Tuesday’s 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. election at the town office. Voters also have a choice of three candidates for two school board seats.

Selectman James Stone is seeking re-election to one of the three-year positions. He’s challenged by Donald Nuttall and Shepard Golub.

School board members Joanne Chapman and Virginia Nuttall face off against Golub for committee two seats.

Stone, 65, feels growth is important and needs to be addressed. The town, he said, is growing very fast and people are concerned. Before doing anything, he said, it should be thought over to see what is best for the community.

Stone, retired, says he brings 12 years of experience to the board. He served six years on the school board, over four years on the appeals board and served on the budget committee. His experience, he said, has prepared him to deal with selectmen’s work.

Donald Nuttall, 59, says taxes are important. “We need to make sure that people who live here can still afford to live here in the future,” he said.

If elected, he said he will make sure taxpayers’ money is spent wisely.

Nuttall, who works at Rangeley IGA, also serves as a member of the budget committee and has served two years as selectman, chaired the Ordinance Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals and served on the Planning Board.

The biggest issue, said Golub, 64, is the ever-increasing cost of basic services needed to maintain the quality of life in Rangeley. He’s concerned when he sees longtime residents forced to move because they cannot afford the tax burden here.

Approaches to the issue, he said, include reducing the cost of services by seeking operating efficiencies, eliminate spending on unfunded projects and reduce administrative costs. Another approach includes making the tax burden more evenly shared.

Golub, also retired, does some engineering consultations and piloting. He has 30 years of consulting experience. He has served on the Planning Board for five years and on the Airport Commission.

Golub is also seeking a school board seat.

All three board candidates feel school consolidation is the biggest issue facing the school.

For Chapman, the issue includes how to give the best education to students for the least amount of money. “It is a challenge that will require a lot of work in the next few months that can only be successful if people work together peacefully and compromise when necessary,” she said.

If re-elected, she plans to continue to keep abreast of what is happening and work for a school system that meets the needs of town children.

Chapman was a teacher for 34 years, substituted in Rangeley during retirement and has served on the school board for nine years.

Virginia Nuttall feels the board needs to provide leadership and representation in any consolidation plan.

“We cannot lose sight that our primary mission is to provide the best education for children in the community,” she said.

She has three years on the board and has worked as a teacher and administrator for 25 years, which gave her a strong background in education, she said.

Consolidation is part of a bigger issue, efficient use of funds, Golub said. Half the town budget is spent on schools, more than the average amount per student, but students seem to get poor educational performance and limited opportunities, he said.

If elected, he will work to reduce non-educational overhead and administrative costs, he said.

His background also includes teaching.