I am a candidate for North Attleboro selectman in the Feb. 10 primary.

I am a college graduate with a bachelor's in secondary education, history and sociology. I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Angela, for 41 years and have two grown children and five grandchildren. Two of my grandchildren are in the North Attleboro schools.

My work history is as follows: I have taught in high school and have substituted in the North Attleboro school system, giving me an insight into what it is to be a teacher and the job the administration does. For over 35 years I worked with one company, retiring in 2004. During this time I handled multi-million dollar budgets, helped many entrepreneurs become successful business people, negotiated contracts and worked with unions. I have served the town of North Attleboro as an RTM member and have been a volunteer working at town hall.

I decided to run for selectman because I feel the people of our town deserve a full-time selectman. I am retired and the job of selectman will be my full time job. The citizens of North Attleboro will be able to stop at Town Hall to see me or call there and talk to me. I will instantly be able to talk to whatever person I need to at town hall to answer the question or handle the problem right then and there.

I will be proactive in making sure we keep the type of town government we have. The RTM is the most important part of the current form of government. It maintains a check and balance against all the other departments and the board of selectmen. I will work very hard to improve the way people can become RTM members and work towards fixing the way our current government works. I want it to be more proactive in regards to meeting the town people's needs. If we did not have the RTM this January but had a mayor, two articles would have passed that were defeated by RTM. One article would have charged the people at hotels and motels in our town a 4 percent tax. The second article would have wasted $10,000 on a building which is privately owned. This money is needed to help give school teachers a pay raise. The finance committee, selectmen and town administrator approved of these two articles. It is easy to surmise that they would have been approved with a mayor and a town council as our form of government.

Remember it is not the type of town government we have but who the people are that run the departments, committees, town administrator and those working as RTM members.

I promise to work towards a resolution of the Afghans painting and bring it back to our town ASAP. To work towards a balanced budget which will maintain the level of services we have come to expect. To seek new ways to bring in money that will help build a new library. I will try to make sure there are no more private roads in our town and that where we have private roads they become paved town roads and maintained by the town. No taxpayer in our town should ever have to fight with town hall to have proper roads. In short I want to help the taxpayers get their money's worth.

How can I do all this? With hard work, innovative thinking, a "never say never" attitude and the ability to work with all the people in town government and the people of North Attleboro.

My platform is one of:

Change: Making our town better and government more responsive to the needs of the people.

Commitment: I will be a full time selectman.

Communication: With town government and the citizens of North Attleboro.

Cooperation: Working to achieve our goals with all town people and departments and committees.

If you agree, please give me your vote on Feb. 10 and on April 7. WALTER MATTHIS of North Attleboro is a candidate for selectman.