Staff Report

Three candidates are vying for two seats on the Grantwood Village Board of Trustees in the Tuesday, April 6, election.

Seeking election next week are Treasurer Cathy Forand, who has served on the board since 1989; Clerk Nancy Humes, who was appointed to the board to fill the unexpired term of former Clerk Don Dempsey; and Bill Hypes, who twice has sought election to the board. Humes and Hypes were unsuccessful write-in candidates for the board in 2008.

Asked to identify the most important issue in the race, Forand said, “Re-establishing effective leadership on the board. This includes refocusing the priorities of the board toward serving the residents, planning for the future by reviewing current contracts and ordinances, implementing new guidelines for ethical conduct and checks and balances and bringing everyone together to solve the problems facing us.”

Humes, 2 Missionary Ridge, and Hypes, 21 Vicksburg Circle, did not respond to a Call questionnaire.

Forand, 53, 7401 Granbury Circle, is married to Dr. Joseph Forand. They have a grown daughter.

Forand said she is seeking re-election “to continue to serve the residents of Grantwood Village and address and solve the issues and concerns they have raised.”

Other issues identified by Forand include: “Communication is always an important issue, but with recent events in Grantwood, it is more important now than ever. Improving communication, perhaps through social media, with our residents is something I will see is achieved.

“The board is currently investigating the feasibility of a lateral sewer insurance program. I support a program where we can cap the amount of expenditure per incident. While the county program does not allow this, most independent municipal programs do, and I feel this is the only way every resident can benefit. More research is required and other options still need to be explored.”