PARIS — Though Mike Risica and Zachary Creps are running against each other for selectman in Tuesday’s town elections, there are two issues they agree on: a lack of businesses and not increasing the budget unless it’s absolutely necessary.

The term is for three years.

Risica does sales and service for Heritage Crystal Clean, is a member of the Planning Board and previously served on the Budget Committee.

He said the biggest issue facing the town and the board is the stagnant tax base.

“It’s nice to go after parks and buildings and extra lots,” he said. “How do we support that? We should be actively trying to attract businesses of a slightly larger size, such as Keiser out on Route 26. We shouldn’t wait for the Chamber of Commerce or any quasi-government group to come forward. As a town, we need to be proactive.”

Creps, a firefighter for Paris and Oxford who has never run for public office, agrees there’s a need to be proactive. That’s why since he announced his candidacy, he’s been crafting a plan to attract more businesses to town. He’s conducted research and is still hammering out the details of the plan, he said.

“We need something like Oxford (that) has the casino, which has helped with their taxes,” he said. “We need more businesses to try and take the tax burden off the residents themselves. No matter how good a town is, it can always make room for people to come in whether that’s a business or school or people.”

Part of his plan includes marketing the town as a business-friendly community, along with speaking to different business owners to convince them to relocate to Paris.

One of Risica’s ideas includes exploring bringing a natural gas line through Paris, partly by researching the one that runs through Harrison. He thinks this is a good idea, especially because Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is friendly to the idea of investing in natural gas and could work with Gov. Paul LePage, he said.

“There would be no more monopoly for heating oil,” Risica said. “At least people would have a choice.”

Both candidates were asked if they could put money in the budget, where would it be and why.

“Before putting more money into any budget for the town, we need to look at the big picture and see if that is best for the town and what is needed to make Paris better and save money overall,” Creps said. If spending money on something up front would save the town in the long term, it should be considered, he said.

Risica said he hasn’t heard of any problems regarding more money needed for the fire, police and highway departments.

“I am not in favor of increasing the budget unless we can’t live without a certain line item,” he said.

Risica added he heard a rumor in town that if elected, he plans to gut funding to the Police Department. He said it’s unequivocally not true.

“I’ll take a lie detector test,” he said.

Creps said the town needs people like him to run for office.

“We need people who want to put 110 percent into it and that’s something I want to do,” he said. “I think I have the knowledge and the drive to be successful and to make this (business) plan successful.”

Voters will head to the polls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, at the Paris Fire Station, 137 Western Ave.

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