Since Mayor David Gronbach, a Democrat, was elected in 2015, Bass has regularly clashed with the mayor on key issues, such as Gronbach’s plan to pull town insurance coverage from nonprofit employees of the Children’s Center.
Bass and other Republicans’ countermoves, including efforts to restore town insurance to workers at the Children’s Center, which Gronbach phased out, were often voted down by the Democratic majority on Town Council.
At those meetings, Republicans — including Bass — have long fought with Gronbach about the mayor’s plan to renovate the former John Pettibone School into a community center.
Republicans contend the mayor has steamrolled the project without sufficient input from council members and the public and that Gronbach doesn’t have a plan to pay for the renovations, which Republicans project will cost more than the $380,000 the the mayor has budgeted.
In January, Gronbach wrote that Bass and other Republicans “are working every lever behind the scenes to sabotage the project.”
Bass, who has been on the Town Council since 2002, has been appointed to several volunteer positions in town during the past decade. He has sat on the Sewer Commission since 2009 and has been on the town Economic Development Commission since 2002.
In Facebook posts, Gronbach has called Bass an “obstructionist” and said he was “disappointed” in Bass’ leadership on the Sewer Commission.
Bass, a married father of three originally from Pennsylvania, said his wife, Tammy, is the reason he is pursuing public office.
“My wife gave me a pretty good lesson, which is ‘you need to give to those that give to you,'" Bass said.
