By JOSEPH FITZGERALD

NORTH SMITHFIELD — Of the four candidates vying for the two-year position of town administrator, only two will remain standing after Tuesday’s run off election.

Town voters going to the polls will be asked to narrow the field of candidates — incumbent Robert B. Lowe and opponents Ernest H. Alter, Donald Gagnon and Paulette D. Hamilton — to two. Those two candidates with the highest votes will appear on the ballot in the general election in November. That ballot will also include races for Town Council and School Committee.
But for now, all eyes are on Tuesday’s non-partisan run-off election for town administrator. A run-off election or primary is required when the number of persons declaring for office is more than twice the amount of seats available. In this case, there are four candidates running for a single position.

Polls will be open Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the following locations:
Precinct 1- Villa at St. Antoine, 400 Mendon Road; Precinct 2 - North Smithfield Fire and Rescue Service Station 2, 1470 Providence Pike; Precinct 3 - North Smithfield Fire and Rescue Service 1, 675 St. Paul St.; Precinct 4 - North Smithfield Elementary School, 2214 Providence Pike; Precinct 5 - Scouters Hall, 3 Main St.; Precinct 6 - Kendall-Dean School, 83 Greene St.
Ernest H. Alter
Alter, 71, of 600 Victory Highway, ran against Lowe in the 2006 election. Lowe won the contest with 542 votes (54 percent) to Alter’s 461 (46 percent).
Alter is a graduate of Washington and Lee University in Virginia. He served in the U.S. Army, working with an intelligence unit for two years before heading to work as a stockbroker in New York for 20 years. In addition to his degree in economics, political science and history, Alter also studied law, business and public administration before joining the military.
Since joining his family in town in the 1980s, Alter has worked as a real estate broker and insurance broker for various companies. He is a member of Operation Clean Government and Common Cause.
“As an independent-minded conservative, my vision builds on the vision of the people of this town in the 2001 town vision study, which carried with it the clear mandate not to spend recklessly or in the wrong ways as this town has been doing or make a complete mockery of the mandate to keep this town rural and protect its water supply,” Alter says. “I look to promote and expand opportunities for children now going back to school to some day be able to find meaningful employment and to be able to buy homes right here in North Smithfield so that those can become the very best place in the world to live.”
“There will never be enough I can do for the people of this town. “We need to focus on and favor free enterprise and capital formation where we all benefit, including teachers.”

Donald P. Gagnon
Gagnon, of 9 Sayles Hill Road, is retired. He is a former business leader with a background in management, finance and development, previously working for Eastland Bank and Marathon Group. He currently serves as chairman of the North Smithfield Conservation Commission, chairman of the town’s Ordinance Review Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council.
He was the founder and president of Citizens League for Environmental Action and Recovery, a non-profit environmental protection group. He also served on the Rhode Island Elevator Board and spent four years as treasurer for the Sierra Club of Rhode Island.
Gagnon said he is offering a full range of skills, which are required to effectively administer the business of the town. “Having good communication skills and being a facilitator is a good starting point, but is just one of a myriad of requisite abilities in effective leadership,” he says.
According to Gagnon, in order to effectively manage the operation and growth of the community, a working knowledge of critical elements of the governing structure, such as planning, zoning, environmental, public health and safety, legal matters, dealing with state and federal regulations, finance and others are essential to the day-to-day operation of the town. He said the balance of experience and leadership skills are learned through experience and not always found in a text book.
“Each facet of town government, from overseeing department heads to collaborating with stakeholders, agencies, developers, requires a working knowledge of each component and the ability to recognize any weaknesses within these subsets and take steps as needed. My 30-plus years of business and professional experience give me the tools needed for the task at hand.”
Paulette D. Hamilton
Hamilton, 53, of 473 Black Plain Roadway, has been president of Hamilton and Associates Consulting for 20 years and was assistant vice president of marketing at Marquette Credit Union. Until recently she was an administrative assistant for the North Smithfield Police Department. She is a corporate trainer with the Bryant University Executive Development Center and executive adviser to the Chiropractic Society of Rhode Island. She is also a financial planner and franchise director with Plan America.
She attended the Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.
She is director of the North Smithfield Prevention Task Force and serves as president of Credit Union Women of Rhode Island. She is president of the School Health and Safety Association, as well as the Woonsocket Business Cooperative.
“I am running for town administrator because I believe in responsibility and accountability,” said Hamilton. “We can no longer accept the comfort of old ways. We have to plan a course of action, set out steps to achieve goals, and stay focused on our long-term objective.”
“A successful leader embraces effective communication rather than dictates, delegates rather than controls, and skillfully guides rather than takes charge. Citizens’ voices should not just be heard but understood. I care deeply about our town. I want it to experience smart growth in an effort to reduce the tax burden on residents. I want to engage in meaningful dialogue with other towns to find ways to regionalize purchases.”
Hamilton promised open lines of communication in an effort to move the town forward.
“As town administrator I will continue to forge positive partnerships and open, effective communication to bring North Smithfield into the future,” she said.

Robert B. Lowe
Lowe, 62, of 19 Freitas Lane, is seeking a third term as town administrator.
Formerly self-employed, he was chairman of the North Smithfield School Committee from 1979 to 1985 and state representative in District 61 and 48 from 1987 to 2004.
A 1965 graduate of Woonsocket High, he attended St. Francis Xavier for two years.
He is past president of the North Smithfield Jaycees and served in the Army from 1968 to 1974.
“I have proudly served this town for four years and relish the opportunity to continue to make North Smithfield a place we can all be proud of. I have a proven record of successful leadership and strong vision for our future,” he says.
“My greatest accomplishment in office has been strong fiscal management and oversight that has benefited the property owners of this town. My administration secured an unheard of $500,000 surplus. Taxes would have remained stable were it not due to the middle school bond that the residents of this town approved. 
“During my four-year tenure in office I have established a strong foundation for the future growth of North Smithfield,” he said. “I have built the infrastructure in order to supply the necessary water and sewage to make this possible. I am dedicated to a smart growth approach that will maintain our treasured rural character, supporting such pro-active economic endeavors as the Branch Village Revitalization project.
“I am proud of my time in office and believe that North Smithfield is stronger today than it was four years ago due to my hard work and commitment,” Lowe said. “I have tirelessly worked to support the citizens of this town and will continue to do so with their support.”