Plymouth County Commissioner on 5 South Coast ballots today: Nyman and O'Brien side by side

PLYMOUTH One seat on the three-member Plymouth County Commission is contested on today's ballot, Tuesday, Nov. 3, in Plymouth, Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester, and in every other city and town in Plymouth County. Democrat Rhonda L. Nyman of Hanover faces Republican Anthony Thomas O'Brien Sr. of Pembroke. Neither is listed on the ballot as seeking re-election. Polls are open until 8 p.m.

What the county commission does

The three commissioners hold the county's general executive authority: they represent the county, care for its property and manage its business, prepare the annual budget for all county departments, and act as the county's personnel board. They serve four-year terms; two are elected in presidential election years and one in governor's election years, which is why one seat is on the ballot today.

The Register of Deeds, the sheriff and the county treasurer are elected separately and run their own departments; departments such as the Extension Service answer to the commissioners, and the budget the commissioners approve goes to the Plymouth County Advisory Board on County Expenditures for approval or amendment.

Below, the candidates are listed in the order they appear on the ballot, then the same topics in the same order for both: what the county costs cities and towns, state and federal grants, and when and where the commission meets. Positions come from the candidates' own campaign sites.

Plymouth County Commissioner: Rhonda L. Nyman and Anthony Thomas O'Brien Sr.

• Rhonda L. Nyman: Democrat, of Hanover. Her campaign site says she is a former state representative for Hanover, Norwell and Rockland who served on the House Ways and Means Committee, spent six years on the Hanover Select Board, where she was an advisory member to the county commission, and retired this year after 11 years as a government affairs officer for the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department. She was chief financial officer of a small family business for more than 15 years, the site says.
• Anthony Thomas O'Brien Sr.: Republican, of Pembroke.

What the county costs cities and towns

Nyman's site says many towns are turning to property tax overrides and debt exclusions to pay for basic services, and that the county commission can and should play a larger role. She would push regional programs and bulk purchasing in areas such as water testing, beach monitoring, public health and emergency planning "to ease the financial burdens on municipalities who cannot afford to stand up and fund these programs alone."

O'Brien's campaign has not published a position on what the county costs cities and towns.

State and federal grants

Nyman's site says she would create a dedicated grant writer position in county government to help the county's 27 cities and towns, and would work to make sure Plymouth County "gets every state and federal dollar it is eligible to receive."

O'Brien's campaign has not published a position on state and federal grants.

When and where the commission meets

Nyman's site says commission meetings are now held on weekday daytimes in Plymouth, which "limits participation." She would push to hold the meetings on a rotating basis in communities across the county.

O'Brien's campaign has not published a position on when and where the commission meets.

Where to vote

Polls are open until 8 p.m. The state's Where Do I Vote lookup shows the polling place for any address. What to bring is in our Election Day guide, and results from our Plymouth County towns will post on the SC360 Election Center as town clerks release them after the polls close.

Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day still count if the town clerk receives them by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, under state election law.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.