ASHFIELD — Residents who cast their ballots in the town election on Saturday, May 3, will decide who should fill 15 positions across the town’s various boards and committees, including determining the outcome of contested races for tree warden and constable.

Polls will be open from 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Town Hall.

Vying for the position of tree warden, which carries a one-year term, are incumbent Tom Poissant, 60, and challenger Lucas LaFleur, 38.

Poissant has held the position of tree warden for more than 30 years and also works as the town’s highway superintendent. He has lived in Ashfield for 59 years and said he enjoys working with the town’s residents. If reelected, he plans to continue his work caring for the town’s trees.

“A lot of the work is tree maintenance, making sure they’re healthy, and treating or removing them when they are not,” Poissant explained. “We’re at a time period where some of the trees in town are at the end of their lifespan and we’re working on removing and replacing them.”

He added that he’s developed a good working relationship with townspeople and the utility companies, and has been able to resolve issues as they’ve come up. He said he would like to continue serving as tree warden if the voters reelect him.

“It boils down to, if you like what I’ve been doing and want me to continue, then vote for me,” Poissant said.

LaFleur moved to Ashfield four years ago from the neighboring town of Conway. He works in forestry and owns Maple Leaf Mobile Repair specializing in equipment repair, in addition to helping his fiancee Allison Nottingham run Wicked Good Café on Main Street. If elected, LaFleur hopes to “bring a fresh vigor to the role.”

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“I have a lot of experience in tree cutting and forestry, and I’ve always been into sustainable agriculture, so I hope to bring some more conservation efforts to town,” he said.

Having studied and worked in forestry, LaFleur said he knows when and how trees should be removed, and through friendships with tree wardens in other towns, he has learned about conservation efforts being pursued, such as a requirement that trees that are cut down be replaced with a new tree elsewhere.

In addition to running for tree warden, LaFleur is also challenging incumbent Elizabeth Lesure for a three-year term as constable. Per the town bylaws, constables are tasked with alerting residents of the Annual Town Meetings and posting the warrants.

Lesure is a longtime resident who has served as one of the town’s constables for decades. She could not be reached for comment.

LaFleur said he was inspired to seek election through conversations with other residents at the town caucus, including his mentor, longtime Moderator Stewart “Buz” Eisenberg. He had taken some of Eisenberg’s classes at Greenfield Community College and said he believes in the importance of democracy and holding fair elections, so when town caucus attendees told him to go for it, he decided to throw his hat in the ring for constable.

LaFleur said he has the utmost respect for the two incumbents and is thankful for their years of service. He said he is not looking to “steal” anyone’s position, but he believes it is important to get more young people involved in town government and he wanted to provide voters with another option.

Other uncontested races on the ballot are:

■Selectboard, three-year term — Tom Carter, incumbent.

■Moderator, one-year term — Stewart “Buz” Eisenberg, incumbent.

■Board of Assessors, three-year term: Faye Whitney-Lussier, incumbent.

■Board of Health, three-year term: Evelyn Resh, incumbent.

■Board of Health, one-year term: Jennifer Williams.

■Finance Committee, two seats with three-year terms — Bennet Markens, incumbent, and Laura Stravino.

■ Finance Committee, two-year term — Ayala Carter, incumbent.

■Park Commission, two seats with three-year terms — Gail Wiedmann, incumbent, and Jamie Rogers.

■School Committee, three-year term: Patricia Bayer.

■Sewer Commission, three-year term — Richard Taylor, incumbent.

■Belding Memorial Library trustee, five-year term — Robert Barba.

■Planning Board, five-year term — Adam Bright.

■Planning Board, two-year term — Carter Carter.

The ballot also includes five ballot questions, asking voters to approve a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion to pay to repair a retaining wall on Bronson Avenue and if the tree warden position should become an appointed position rather than an elected one. Three non-binding advisory questions ask residents if they would be in favor of taking action to mitigate invasive species on Ashfield Lake, including by specifically using herbicides, and potentially closing Sanderson Academy to pursue fiscal sustainability for the Mohawk Trail Regional School District.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.