WILTON — Experience, ideas and a love for their community were expressed by candidates for the Board of Selectmen Wednesday during a meet-and-greet forum.

During the June 12 election, voters will choose between three candidates to finish the last two years of Paul Gooch’s term. Chris Krauss, Tiffany Maiuri and Paul Berkey Jr. are seeking the position.

Incumbent Tom Saviello runs unopposed for another three-year term.

The four candidates answered questions posed by Jennifer McEntee of The Wilton Group, the host, before responding to those asked by members of a large audience gathered at Calzolaio Pasta Co.

While Krauss, 65, currently helps her husband, Gary, with sales of the furniture he makes, she has experience with bringing local artisans together through the formation of Sugarwood Gallery in Farmington, an effort that rose to a $1 million in sales within four years. She has served on several committees in Wilton, worked in the schools and joined the East Wilton Neighborhood Association’s effort to revitalize the Wilson Grange including organizing the Passport Dinners offered by the Grange.

“I love this town. I’d do anything to help,” she told the audience.

Maiuri, 46, brings a depth of experience to the board. She currently works in Information Technology Services at the University of Maine at Farmington. A retired U.S. Merchant Marines officer, she has also owned a marketing business. She is a successful grant writer and is actively involved in the School Street Neighborhood Association, a group formed to help secure a purpose for the former Wilton Primary School. She also does a lot of volunteer work.

After spending 3,000 days at sea, you learn to get along with a lot of people and how to solve problems, she said of the experience she could bring to the board.

Berkey, 44, has an ability to communicate and listen to residents. Raised in Wilton, he’s still “always in town” and enjoys helping out through volunteering at the food pantry and as a member of the Lion’s Club. An owner of five properties in town and custodian in the Jay schools, he previously worked for the town’s Highway Department.

For him, being a selectman is “not about all my choices but what you want,” he said of his desire to give back, listen to and represent the citizens.

Saviello is seeking his fourth term on the board. After the town rallied behind him while he experienced some personal issues a few years ago, he realized a desire to give back.

“Everyone has the responsibility to do something,” he said of his work first on the school board then Board of Selectmen. He also brings experience and contacts as a state legislator to the board.

The most pressing issues facing the town found some similar veins among the candidates.

Infrastructure or roads, the Forster building and bringing businesses to town were mentioned as priorities by the three competing candidates. High speed Internet, the tannery and developing a plan for the next five, 10 and 20 years were also voiced.

For Saviello, already compiled reports means “learning how to use what we have,” a nuisance ordinance and how to make the not small but not big town “fit in” are issues.

Other audience questions centered on the lake, ideas for revitalizing downtown, taxes and the police department, which raised a variety of ideas including thinking “outside the box.”

Dennis Landry said he likes to get to know the candidates and asked each one about their weakness.

Saviello said he tries to do too much for too many people and sometimes fails. Krauss said ditto to his answer. Maiuri said family comes first and for Berkey, public speaking. A round of applause from the audience followed his answer.

abryant@sunjournal.com