By VINAYA SAKSENA

LINCOLN — The three candidates for town administrator engaged in a heated debate at Lincoln Middle School on Thursday night, with Republican incumbent T. Joseph Almond facing an aggressive challenge from both Democrat John Barr and independent candidate James Spooner.

Right away, the debate focused on issues that forced Almond to defend himself while giving his opponents an opportunity to contrast themselves with him. The question came from one of the debate’s moderators, Valley Breeze Editor Marcia Green, who questioned Almond on his lack of action to stop the last-minute addition of more than $500,000 to the school department budget by voters at the Financial Town Meeting.
Almond responded by saying that as town administrator, he had no control over what had happened. Barr, who called Almond’s honesty into question on other occasions that night, said he agreed with Almond on this point, though he added that those upset with increases such as this should make a point of attending budget hearings, not just the meetings in which they were finally voted on. Spooner, however, said more assertive action should be taken by the administrator or someone else in such circumstances.
“I’ve been opposed to the $517,000 from day one,” Spooner said. “Something’s got to be done about these things. Somebody’s got to take the bull by the horns, take charge and stop the (excessive) spending.”
A major point of contention during the debate, particularly between Almond and Barr, was the assessment of value on which taxation of the Twin River casino facility was based. Barr, a former state representative, pointed out that it was one of two facilities in the state in which gambling was allowed, and suggested that an assessment done on the property had not allowed the town to reap as much revenue as it could, a statement Spooner said he basically agreed with.
Almond, however, said Barr’s statement was false, countering that the assessment had been done before he was elected town administrator, and that only the real property value — not the value of the business — could be taxed.
Another issue on which Almond faced scrutiny from both moderators and his opponents was the state of sewers in town. Almond maintained that sewers in town were in good shape, an assertion Barr questioned, saying that the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Management were investigating possible sewage problems in Lincoln, and questioning what he said was Almond’s decision to focus instead on putting a senior center at Lime Acres Park.
“Basically, Joe is misleading (voters) on this issue,” Barr said of the sewers. “I think he’s been fiscally imprudent.”
“There is no EPA investigation,” Almond countered. “There is no DEM violation. Our seniors deserve a new senior center.”
“Pumping stations are terminal in their lifespan,” Spooner said. “The cost is prohibitive right now. But it is essential and very necessary.”
Prompted by a question from Green, Barr questioned whether or not it was appropriate for Almond to continue collecting a pension from his stint as a police officer. Almond countered that this was not the ethical dilemma Barr made it out to be, saying that as town administrator, he was not an employee of the town, but an elected official.