WESTERLO — Theodore Lounsbury grew up in town, in Dormansville, and Westerlo is where he chose to stay.

“I’ve always loved it,” he said. “Everyone knows everyone else. It’s where my wife and I are raising our two kids.”

Lounsbury, 35, works as a project manager for FPI Mechanical in Cohoes, which, he said, builds and maintains chemical plants.

“I’ve always been interested in government for the town,” he said, so, when the opportunity arose after board resignations and the post was offered to him, he took it.

Richard Rapp, chairman of the town’s Democratic committee and Westerlo’s supervisor, said this summer when the decision was made to back the board’s incumbents, “Teddy’s very quiet, but I think he’ll do very well in time. He tries to find out what people want.”

Lounsbury said of his nine-and-a-half months on the board so far, “I don’t mind the challenges. You can’t make everyone happy…I’m satisfied trying to do the best we can…We’re dealing with a lot of issues…We have a very good team that’s accomplishing a lot that needs to be addressed,” he said of the all-Democratic town board.

Asked for his views on whether Westerlo should ban or allow hydraulic fracturing, Lounsbury said, “Right now, we put a committee together…Their report isn’t finalized….We’ll review it when it is and make a determination.”

Lounsbury had voted, in the minority, to accept the report this summer when it was first presented. The majority voted to send the report back to the committee to be revised.

Lounsbury declined this week to state any of his own views on fracking, noting the decision would be made by the board as a group.

On scrap metal, Lounsbury said, “I don’t believe any further regulation is needed.”

He went on, “The price is driving people to buy scrap and take it to the yard themselves…I firmly believe that’s why Westerlo doesn’t have as much.”

On revaluation, Lounsbury said, “I’m not familiar with that. I’d have to look at it…It’s not something that’s come before the board.”

About the town’s garage building, Lounsbury said, “We’re looking into different options on trying to upgrade it.”

He went on, “It costs a lot to operate that building, especially in the winter. We haven’t contacted an engineering firm about it…It does need to be addressed.”

On the role of the town’s attorney, Lounsbury said, “When her services are needed, we ask her to attend board or workshop meetings. Otherwise, we don’t need her there."