Joseph Story II
Address: 32 Newbury Neck Road
Age: 58
Occupation: Retired from the Seabrook nuclear power plant
Education: Bridgewater State College, two years
Personal: Single, engaged
Residence: Lifelong Newbury resident
Previous public experience: Planning Board, two years; Town Government Study Committee, Oldtown Water District commissioner
Joe Story wants to preserve Newbury's agricultural character, the character that brought his grandparents to town as farmers during the Depression and still attracts people.
Through his service on the Planning Board and Town Government Study Committee, he worked on Newbury's current Master Plan, which calls, among other things, for just that goal.
He doesn't farm his family's 150 acres of land himself, but he rents it to farmers, rather than make it available for development.
"Newcomers have moved here because they liked what they saw," he said. "Farmers keep Newbury looking like it does."
He sees the town as being in a financial bind, in part because of a high bonded indebtedness.
"Newbury has one of the highest debt services in the area," he said. "We bonded for the library, the athletic field and the landfill."
Moreover, he said, as part of the Triton Regional School District, the town is not in complete control of its finances.
"Salisbury and Rowley are our partners in half of our budget," he said.
He supports the continuing campaign to step up tax collections, both back taxes and current bills, and recently voted in favor of selling several parcels of surplus town property.
Story said he also supports the efforts of state Sen. Bruce Tarr and Plum Island Taxpayers President Ron Barrett to convene federal, state and local officials to come up with a long-term solution to the problem of beach erosion on Plum Island.
"That's the only way to go," he said. "We'll never be successful if we're in a reactive mode. We've got to be pro-active, move forward."
He said he is seeking the maximum public input on zoning changes proposed to accommodate The Village at Little River, a major residential-and-commercial project proposed for the intersection of Route 1 and Middle Road. The zoning changes are expected to be put to a vote of a special Town Meeting in June.
"The biggest project in town history is on the horizon," he said. "We have to get the best deal we can for the town of Newbury. It's important for people to get out and vote on that project."
Story favors expanding the Board of Selectmen to five members. He said the best way to fill the new seats would be to award a three-year term to the highest vote-getter, a two-year term to the second-place candidate and a one-year term to the person finishing third.
