But there are other significant factors contributing to his desire to remain in office. Foremost, Larson would not want to leave office with several major projects begun, but not yet completed. Secondly,his Democratic Party has veered in a different direction from the past when Larson's mentor, former Mayor Bob DeCrescenzo began making changes in the town's infrastructure.

During and after WWII the town's school population grew rapidly. With Democrats in control many new schools had to be built. Trying to hold onto the party's basic approach as in the past, keep taxes low - get re-elected became increasingly difficult. The town's taxpayers subsequently had to pay heavily in future years when it was discovered many of the buildings had serious flaws incurring expensive renovations. Police and fire departments had to operate in highly inadequate structures, yet Democrats remained in power.

This self-imposed frugality erupted in the late 1960s when a Republican administration won an election on the basis of "catch-up" to correct the low-cost approach of the Democrats. A 12 mill increase was enacted. The town's GOP was trounced in the next election.

In ensuing years, plans were frequently discussed about correcting the infrastructure. But, as usual, little happened. Then another Republican administration appeared, primarily due to wide-spread disaffection within the Democratic party leadership. The new mayor at Town Hall promptly adopted a policy to question any or all attempts to improve town facilities and the town continued to curtail spending.

Examples: The mayor refused to utilize state grant money to renovate the town's original high school. With the public bitterly complaining about the need to install paved cart paths at the golf course the mayor reluctantly approved a three-year program. There were other similar penny-pinching characteristics of that administration.

Finally, with the election of Democratic Mayor Bob DeCrescenzo, a new approach to governing occurred. The high school was renovated and became a highly popular Community Cultural Center, and the Town Green was built greatly enhancing the downtown area.

During that period the mayor had as his administrative assistant one Tim Larson who has obviously adopted the philosophy of his then boss and became the new mayor. Now completing his third, two-year term, Larson will see the completion of the huge police, fire complex in Burnside, the upgrading of Main Street and other improvements in town during his fourth tour of duty following the November election.

It would appear Republican's only solution to decades of Democratic control is another attempt to change the Town Charter to a Town Manager.

Many years ago, a charter revision commission made up of members of both parties put absolute control in the hands of a "stong mayor" form of government. Indeed the strongest such entity in the state and is still in existence today. Yet Republican minority members of the commision - who were charged by their own party officials to seek a town manager - caved in to the Democrats' approach. Thus we have the present format. One might say: "Ineptitude got us from there, to here." , not the