LAKEVILLE — Current Planning Board Chair Mark Knox is running for a seat on the Select Board, as well as for re-election to the Planning Board. 

There are currently three seats available on the Lakeville Select Board. At this town election, the top vote-getter will earn a three-year term; the candidates with the second and third highest totals will serve for two and one year, respectively. 

Knox, who ran for Select Board in a 2019 special election, said he wants to be on the board because he hasn’t been happy with how the town has been run by previous select boards, although he did not have an issue with the current board. He added that the growth of the board to five members provides a good opportunity to “stay engaged.”

Knox, who owns a roofing business, thought his business background would make him a good selectman. “The town is a $34 million business, and it needs to be run like one.”

He also stated that he brings to the table an understanding of land use and zoning regulations from his experience on the Planning Board, as well as awareness of the impact that decisions pertaining to these areas can have on the town. 

If elected to the Select Board, one issue he’d like to address is overspending, he explained. “I’d like to try and reign in spending. I’m not happy with how much I’m paying in property taxes.” 

When it comes to the town budget, Knox argued that every department “should be treated the same way.”  The school department, he said, “is no different than the police or the fire department.”

As for economic growth, Knox said he would like to see more small businesses in Lakeville, but bringing in business would require taking a “hard look at zoning maps,” and working to make any necessary zoning changes. There are portions of the town’s map that have been business zoned but are actually municipal or residential areas, he said. “I would support small overlays in key areas that would promote the growth of small business.” 

Knox also stressed that he would be capable of handling the commitment of being on two boards. He is currently running for re-election to the Planning Board and serves on the Conservation Commission. “I’ve done the duties of two boards for five years. If I do win a seat on the Select Board and get re-elected to the Planning Board, I would give up my seat on the Conservation Commission.”