BERLIN– After more than 25 years the town will have a new face in the At Large seat on the council.
Ace Printing owner Thom Gulyas, 49, is the first person to publicly announce candidacy for the seat vacated by retiring councilmember Paula Lynch.
Gulyas, who ran against District 2 Councilperson Lisa Hall six years ago, said he spoke with Lynch on the phone last week.
“She’s done a fantastic job – a phenomenal job – and I told her that on the phone when I spoke to her,” he said. “I said, ’they may be little shoes physically, but they’re big shoes to fill that’s for sure.’”
Gulyas obtained the papers to run for the Berlin Town Council and expects to file this week.
“I’ve been going around seeing folks, making sure I have a decent base to work from,” he said. “You have to make sure that you’re fairly well known in the community and that you have the backing of your friends and business associates – folks that have been living in town for a long time. You obviously have to have a working knowledge of what’s going on in the town as well.”
A business owner in Berlin for 28 years, Gulyas has lived in the town for the last nine years. His mother is long-time Worcester County Commissioner Louise Gulyas.
“Both she and my wife were extremely supportive when I told them I was going to run,” he said “We need some really good people to serve. There’s a lot of pressing issues that are coming up for the town of Berlin and it would be helpful to have the right team up there.
“The team that’s up there now does a fantastic job,” Gulyas continued. “They really do. I wouldn’t want any single person to go in there and automatically decide today is the day that we paint everybody’s front door green. That’s not going to happen and that’s not what I want to see happen.”
If elected Gulyas said he would work with the existing council to ensure a smooth transition.
“I want to see us work as a team and continue doing all the good work that they’ve been doing,” he said. “They’ve done a very good job. There have been some very difficult years in the past and I’ve been there at those meetings. Eventually things get worked out, but I like the way things are running now.”
Lynch brought an accounting background to the Council, and Gulyas said he could fill a similar role.
Gulyas admitted the “Coolest Small Town” effect had not yet reached his shop.
“Nobody comes in here to buy ’cool’ business cards,” he said. “And that’s okay. So long as the town thrives it’s not about Thom and Ace Printing and all of that – it’s about the town as a whole and what’s happening on Main Street. I support that a thousand percent and I think it’s one of the neatest things that’s even happened to this town. It really is cool.”
Gulyas said he would “keep a reign in on finances” and make sure tax rates do not get out of hand, saying he would examine existing rates as well as future figures.
“I’ve got a couple of options,” he said. “I also want to make sure the diversity of the folks that are living here continues in the life that they’ve grown accustomed to, and to make sure Berlin continues to be a safe place to raise a family. That’s what I love about this town – my wife and I can let our son out and he can go out, hang out with his friends, ride his skateboard or bike, have a good time and we don’t have to worry about all the other garbage that happens in some of the bigger towns or cities. I definitely don’t see that here.”
At press time no one other candidate had filed to the seat. Gulyas expects that to change soon.
“Like anything it will garner some interest,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. May the best person win. But if I can do half as good a job as Paula, I’ll be very happy.”
Ace Printing owner Thom Gulyas, 49, is the first person to publicly announce candidacy for the seat vacated by retiring councilmember Paula Lynch.
Gulyas, who ran against District 2 Councilperson Lisa Hall six years ago, said he spoke with Lynch on the phone last week.
“She’s done a fantastic job – a phenomenal job – and I told her that on the phone when I spoke to her,” he said. “I said, ’they may be little shoes physically, but they’re big shoes to fill that’s for sure.’”
Gulyas obtained the papers to run for the Berlin Town Council and expects to file this week.
“I’ve been going around seeing folks, making sure I have a decent base to work from,” he said. “You have to make sure that you’re fairly well known in the community and that you have the backing of your friends and business associates – folks that have been living in town for a long time. You obviously have to have a working knowledge of what’s going on in the town as well.”
A business owner in Berlin for 28 years, Gulyas has lived in the town for the last nine years. His mother is long-time Worcester County Commissioner Louise Gulyas.
“Both she and my wife were extremely supportive when I told them I was going to run,” he said “We need some really good people to serve. There’s a lot of pressing issues that are coming up for the town of Berlin and it would be helpful to have the right team up there.
“The team that’s up there now does a fantastic job,” Gulyas continued. “They really do. I wouldn’t want any single person to go in there and automatically decide today is the day that we paint everybody’s front door green. That’s not going to happen and that’s not what I want to see happen.”
If elected Gulyas said he would work with the existing council to ensure a smooth transition.
“I want to see us work as a team and continue doing all the good work that they’ve been doing,” he said. “They’ve done a very good job. There have been some very difficult years in the past and I’ve been there at those meetings. Eventually things get worked out, but I like the way things are running now.”
Lynch brought an accounting background to the Council, and Gulyas said he could fill a similar role.
Gulyas admitted the “Coolest Small Town” effect had not yet reached his shop.
“Nobody comes in here to buy ’cool’ business cards,” he said. “And that’s okay. So long as the town thrives it’s not about Thom and Ace Printing and all of that – it’s about the town as a whole and what’s happening on Main Street. I support that a thousand percent and I think it’s one of the neatest things that’s even happened to this town. It really is cool.”
Gulyas said he would “keep a reign in on finances” and make sure tax rates do not get out of hand, saying he would examine existing rates as well as future figures.
“I’ve got a couple of options,” he said. “I also want to make sure the diversity of the folks that are living here continues in the life that they’ve grown accustomed to, and to make sure Berlin continues to be a safe place to raise a family. That’s what I love about this town – my wife and I can let our son out and he can go out, hang out with his friends, ride his skateboard or bike, have a good time and we don’t have to worry about all the other garbage that happens in some of the bigger towns or cities. I definitely don’t see that here.”
At press time no one other candidate had filed to the seat. Gulyas expects that to change soon.
“Like anything it will garner some interest,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. May the best person win. But if I can do half as good a job as Paula, I’ll be very happy.”