In Needham, four candidates vie for two selectmen seats

The candidates who filed papers last week for the April 14 election are: Matthew Borrelli, a lawyer and Needham native who failed in his bid for selectman last year; Scott Brightman, a Finance Committee member; incumbent Selectman John Bulian; and Maurice "Moe" Handel, a member of the Planning Board.

Chairman Jim Healy is not seeking reelection to the five-member board.

The three experienced politicians and one relative newcomer agree in general that the town is headed in the right direction, but their attitudes vary on some fiscal issues, such as tax overrides.

Handel, who is also a Town Meeting member and a member of the Council of Economic Advisors, said he is open to overrides of Proposition 2 1/2 on a case-by-case basis.

"If you don't ever pass an override, then you cannibalize the ability of the community to perform as a community," he said.

Handel said his top priorities are affordability, services for senior citizens, and education. To hold residential taxes down, he suggests trying to attract more businesses, "which is why we've spent so much time on our downtown," said Handel, a member of the Downtown Planning Study Committee.

He said he feels the town has already committed to building a senior center and he would like to see that it is done in a timely manner.

"It's a segment of our population that gets proportionally less services than they should be getting from the town," said Handel, 66.

A self-employed consultant in healthcare strategic planning, Handel has been on the Planning Board since 1996, as well as a long list of other boards and committees. This is his first run for selectman.

Brightman, when pressed for some differences in what looks like a fairly homogenous candidate pool, said he is more fiscally conservative than Handel. He said that dynamic played out on the Town Hall project, when Brightman said he was in favor of constructing "the building we need, not necessarily the building that we want."

Even so, Brightman said he will support the current proposal, which is the result of years of negotiation, and includes some "wants" such as restoration of the Great Hall as an auditorium - something Handel pressed for.

Although they are not running together, both Brightman and Bulian described themselves as politically similar. Both tried to portray themselves as more fiscally conservative than Handel, a description Handel rejected.

"I don't think that there is as much difference as they would like to paint me having," Handel responded, adding that the Town Hall was one of his proudest efforts. "I want to be as careful with money as anyone in this race."

Brightman, who is 44 and runs a small technology company, is in his fourth year on the Finance Committee and is also a Town Meeting member.

He said his priority is to keep Needham a good value for taxpayers. That's not to say he is against overrides, but he said if they are chosen carefully, they will generally get strong voter support.

"My approach after sitting on the Finance Committee, I've learned to really appreciate being AAA rated," said Brightman, referring to the town's healthy bond rating, which allows for favorable borrowing rates.

Of all the candidates, newcomer Matthew Borrelli might stand out as the most fiscally conservative, which is how he initially described himself before correcting to "fiscally responsible."

"I think I am more fiscally prudent than some of the candidates on the board, and I think now is the time to tighten the reins as we move forward," he said, adding that he sees overrides as a last resort. "I think the number-one issue is the budget, keeping within our means, squeezing every dollar."

Borrelli, 33, is a real estate attorney and has his own firm. He also works as a project manager in a family construction business, Norfolk Investment Co., which is building a 60-unit condominium development in Norfolk center.

"I think that I've had success in the private sector, in business," he said. "I've worked with large capital budgets."

Borrelli, who grew up in town, first ran for selectman last year.

He was appointed by selectmen in the fall to the Senior Center Exploratory Committee.

"We need someone with a new perspective and a new voice in the town government," said Borrelli.

Describing himself as a "Weld Democrat," referring to the former Republican governor, Bulian said he is fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

He has a unique perspective on Proposition 2 1/2, the state's tax limiting measure, because he worked on getting it passed. Bulian said it is a misconception that the law is not supposed to be overridden. It was simply meant to rein in government spending by asking for voter approval any time local officials wanted to expand the tax levy beyond 2.5 percent in one year.

He said it has not worked well in all towns, but it has done its job in Needham.

Bulian, 56, touted his six years of experience as a selectman, and is proud of the many building projects that the board has worked on, particularly expanding and renovating the high school. He noted that the project came in at about $60 million, much lower than the $195.2 million being spent in Newton and the $130 million in Wellesley for new high schools.

"The next top priority is getting the senior center built, in addition to that, providing tax relief to seniors who need it," said Bulian, adding that fixing the Newman School's heating and ventilation problems are also a priority.

Another accomplishment he pointed to during his time as selectman is the successful transition to a town manager form of government.

He has also served as a Town Meeting member, and, prior to that, on Braintree's Water and Sewer Commission. Bulian is the owner of Boston Blinds in Newton.

Lisa Kocian can be reached at 508-820-4231 or lkocian@globe.com. For much more about Needham, go to boston.com/needham.