For the first time in many years the Fountain Hills Sanitary District will have a contested election for its board of directors.

There will be four names on the ballot for the two seats that are available on the five-member board.

Incumbent directors Gregg Dudash and Thomas Reski will be seeking to retain their seats. They are being challenged by Tony Finocchio and Scott Sommer.

Dudash came to Fountain Hills after 27 years with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. He was working at the largest wastewater treatment plant in the world.

He went to work for the district in human resources, however his love for technology led him to become a computer systems administrator.

He retired in 2013 and moved to Fountain Hills later that year. He was named to the FHSD board in 2015.

Tony Finocchio is a retired Chicago PD lieutenant with a background in criminal justice and accounting. He has operated small businesses with his wife.

Finocchio retired permanently to Fountain Hills in 2003, spending part of his time in the community since 1979. He served on the Fountain Hills Public Safety Commission and is a member of Four Peaks Rotary serving as president, treasurer and assistant district governor.

Finocchio said he believes the district needs to work with the town to improve the water quality in Fountain Lake.

Reski is the founder and president of Quantum Integrated Solutions, a firm that works with engineering, control systems and computer integration.

He has been in the field of electrical engineering, instrumentation and controls for 25 years.

Reski has been a Fountain Hills resident since 1995 and a member of the Sanitary District board since 2002.

Sommer has been a visitor to Fountain Hills since his parents moved here in 1999. He moved here permanently in 2012.

Sommer has worked in heating and air conditioning and started his own firm, Pro Force Heating and Air Conditioning, about one and a half years ago.

Sommer said he is extremely passionate about the community and he and his wife are committed to getting involved in public service to move Fountain Hills forward.

He agrees with the assessment that more needs to be done to improve conditions at Fountain Park.

Sommer said he brings expertise in project management to the position. He is active in Four Peaks Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce and Christ’s Church.

The Sanitary District election will be part of the all-mail ballot sent to voters in Fountain Hills for the Nov. 7 election.

Ballots will be mailed Wednesday, Oct. 11. The last day to register for the election is Tuesday, Oct. 10 (Monday, Oct. 9, is a county holiday).