William Pike is an incumbent on the Middleboro Select Board but his first term was a short one.

He was elected last spring to fill a one-year term to fill a vacancy. This time, he is running for a full term and says his one-year stint taught him a lot.

“I can get a lot more done in three years than one,’’ he said. 

He is running for one of two positions on the Select Board. Incumbent Brian Giovanoni and newcomer Sarah Wilbur are also running.

“I feel I’ve meshed very well with the board and with the public,’’ he said. His one-year term on the select board preceded by three years on the Finance Committee have been “extremely helpful.’’

A key trait for a select board member, he said, is to listen. “I care about what people think,’’ he said. He will also get answers to questions residents may have and will explain them, even though sometimes “it might not be the answer they want.’’

Being prepared also matters, he states. If a housing development is proposed, for example, he will go to check out the site. “You have to put the time in and care,’’ he said.

The board’s tone has become more civil in recent years, he noted, after a few years of frequent tense interactions between some board members that he described as "dysfunctional’’ at times. 

Pike said this sets a more welcoming tone for the community.

“We don’t always agree,’’ he said. “But healthy discussion usually makes for something healthy to happen.’’

Pike supports the town’s contention, which is being argued now in court, that Middleboro has ample affordable housing and continues to look for more. 

The MBTA Communities Act requires MBTA communities, including Middleboro, to create districts near their transit stations to allow multi-family housing by right within a half mile of the train station. Middleboro argues that the town has created the required zoning district and has developed 174 multi-family units within a half mile of the station.

“As a board, we’ve been pretty firm about what the town voted for,’’ he said, referring to a Special Town Meeting vote last year not to comply with the act. “We’re going to stay firm, despite whatever opposition.’’

He has advocated for smart growth. “I want to continue the growth of the town in the right places and at the right time.’’ 

Pike is pleased to see the opening of several new businesses, including Harper Lane Brewery, Hatchet in Hand and the Italian Gem cafe, among others. “I feel proud as a town to support them,’’ he said.

He also supports the ongoing road work in town. Three roads he described as in particularly bad shape — Anderson Avenue, Center Street and Wareham Street — will be done this spring, he noted.

“With the amount of roads we have, we have to pick the spots that should be fixed,’’ he said. 

If residents reach out to him about a road they consider in bad shape, he will reach out to the Department of Public Works to see “if it’s on their radar’’ and will visit the road personally to view the situation. 

That’s part of being approachable and interacting with the community, he said. “I’m downtown quite often, and on purpose.’’