Biagini And DeFino Vie For Cheshire Selectman Seat

iBerkshires.com  reports Mark Biagini and Donna DeFino are vying for the open three-year selectman seat to be vacated by longtime Selectwoman Carol Francesconi.

This is Biagini's second attempt to land a seat on the board and, he said, move the town forward.

Biagini, a manager at Walmart, unsuccessfully ran against current Selectman Robert Ciskowski in 2018.

One of Biagini's main concerns is town infrastructure and he believes the town has to dig deep for grants or start allocating money to address those roads.

The aging fire station is also a concern.

Biagini is a proponent of utilizing the former Cheshire Elementary School for town needs and not only would he like to see Town Hall moved there, but also the fire station.

DeFino, a former business owner and current accounting manager of Advanced Berkshire Medical Imaging at BBerkshire Health Systems, said she has worked over the years with a diverse group of people and has a strong background in finances.

DeFino said she was concerned with the increasing education budget that continues to eat away at the municipal budget. She said this means less money to address the town's aging infrastructure. The town needs to find a way to remedy these issues while staying clear of the levy limit, she continued.

She also is worried about the former Cheshire Elementary School and noted many of the discussed uses will be incredibly expensive and unlikely.

DeFino said she is also worried about the condition of the fire station and that she thought the town should explore grant opportunities to remediate the failing building.

DeFino said Francesconi gave 30 years to the town and she wants the opportunity to start with three.

The election will be Monday, May 6, at the Community Center. The Council on Aging is hosting a candidate forum there on Friday, May 3, at 7 p.m.