RICHMOND — Five candidates are lined up for the Board of Selectmen, but there is only room enough for two of them on the board.

The top two vote-getters on election day Tuesday will prevail.

Each of the five say they want to serve the town and they have attributes that could serve them and the town well if elected.

Clarence Cummins, 78, the only incumbent seeking to return to the board, said he thinks he can make a positive impact on the town, with his experience both as a current selectman and past member of the Budget Committee. He said the town must balance what people can afford to pay in taxes with the need to provide the functions towns must provide to citizens.

“I think experience does help; it takes a while to realize how the town works, what we can do and what we’d like to do but don’t have the ability to do,” said Cummins, a retired Navy officer. “I’ve got a pretty good background on how the town functions. And I’m not afraid to ask the hard questions.”

David W. Guilmette, 65, who is in charge of law enforcement for the Maine secretary of state’s office, said he, too, has valuable experience, both life experience and in service to the town. He said the town needs to do a better job communicating.

“I’ve been on the Budget Committee three years so I have a pretty good idea of the money — we have to spend taxpayer’s dollars to provide the services we all want and need, but we need to do it efficiently and effectively,” Guilmette said. “Fiscal responsibility is a big responsibility for any selectman. I have the desire to look very closely at the way town government is run and I want to make it just as efficient and effective as I possibly can.”

Pauline Beasley, 76, who works for the United States Labor Department through the Senior Community Service Employment program, has served the town as a trustee of trust funds, on the school board and Budget Committee, and as president of the Richmond Senior Citizen Group, a group that helps local senior citizens and is not funded by the town.

“I’m for the people — I’m a people person and I care about the people in this community,” she said. “Hopefully I can help the people in the community, to lower the taxes. We need to look at the overall picture as it comes up.”

Fred Browne, 75, a retiree who continues to work for the local school district as a substitute teacher, said he’s running because it is his civic duty to the town.

The frequent participant in selectmen’s meetings said he sees the primary responsibility of selectmen as serving as the voice of the people.

“I’d offer complete transparency and dedication to the job,” Browne said. “I would make every effort to serve all the people equally. And balance the diverse requests of those in need with the practical restraints that all municipalities are dealing with.”

Gary Poulin, 55, a self-employed carpenter, said he has no political experience but wants to get involved in town government to give something back to the community.

He said taxes are the biggest issue facing the town and, if elected, he would work to see if spending by the town is justified.

“I’m an honest guy, I work hard,” Poulin said. “If I do get elected, I’d put 110 percent effort into it. I go to the town meetings, but you don’t get a real perspective of what the selectmen go through from that. It’s a decision process I want to try to get involved with.”

Cummins was elected as a selectman in 2009.

The other selectman’s seat up for election was left vacant when Jennifer Greenleaf resigned in March.

Elections are Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Richmond High School, the same day state primary elections will be decided.

Also to be decided in Richmond Tuesday is a two-way race between Jay Brown and Lori Umberhine to fill one, one-year term representing Richmond on the Regional School Unit 2 Board of Directors.

Incumbent Robert Bodge Jr. and challenger Thomas Webster are vying for a three-year term on the Richmond Utilities District.

And Kimberly Valerk-Molnar is the only candidate to take out papers for either of two open three-year positions on the Budget Committee, leaving the other position to be filled by write-in.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com