Fire District No. 3 candidate profile: Ken Loranger

Apr 26, 2018

Ken Loranger grew up in New Bedford, but moved to Dartmouth 18 years ago because it was where his wife was from.

Loranger, an car insurance appraiser, said he was asked to attend District No. 3 Prudential Committee meetings, which is what spurred his reason to run for election to the committee. His brother-in-law Mike Ricardo currently serves on the committee.

Although he hasn’t really been involved in politics, he said after watching how the committee works, he thinks it’s time for a change.

His top priority if elected is to make sure he has all the information on an issue before moving to act on it.

“I don’t want to make a false decision – I definitely don’t want to do that,” he said. “There’s got to be a balance between the fire department and the residents. It’s not a one-way street.”

This means creating a balance between what the fire district needs without causing a tax burden on the residents. Loranger said he also wants to create more openness between residents and their fire district.

“I won’t say I have goals because I’m not running to step on someone’s toes or make a point,” Loranger said. “I’m running because I think it’s time for a change. We need to get rid of the conflict of interest in that station. It’s not a country club, it’s a business – a municipality that is working with a lot of money.”