And away we go.
The race for four seats on the Orange County Board of Commissioners in 2016 is off to a speedy start. Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier announced last week that she won’t be seeking re-election next year after seven years on the board.
And now, Mark Marcoplos, a local builder who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for the board last year, has announced that he will be running for the county commission’s at-large seat, which will be vacated by Pelissier.
Meanwhile, Matt Hughes, chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party, has stated that he is considering a run in 2016 too.
It’s a bit unusual for a candidate to publicly announce that they’re considering a campaign, but Hughes is likely to find support from the party, which he’s led as chairman for the last five years. Party leaders have credited Hughes with increasing voter turnout in past elections.
Marcoplos has a long history of involvement in Orange County. He once chaired the board of directors for the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA), and has also held seats on the county’s Planning Board, Economic Development Commission and the Housing Authority. Marcoplos also helped organize the county’s newly-launched Living Wage Project, which was featured in last week’s Indy.
In addition to Pelissier’s seat, Penny Rich and Mark Dorosin’s District 1 seats will be on the ballot, along with Renee Price’s District 2 seat.
