BRUNSWICK

Sarah Brayman was elected to her first term on the Brunswick Town Council in 2011. Prior, she had been involved in committee work, including the police station building committee.

“Frankly, I wanted a vote on town issues,” Brayman said, in explaining why she first ran for the council. “It’s one thing being in the audience and fighting for your views, and another thing to sit at the table and be part of the discussion and be a decision maker.”

Brayman, who represents the town’s 7th district, became vice chair last year and was unopposed in seeking re-election in November. She was elected chairwoman in January.

Although she has a background in public policy, Brayman now works as a studio artist. Brayman spoke with The Times Record about the year ahead for the council, plans for a long-delayed access road to spur development at Cook’s Corner, and the role of the town manager.

Times Record: At which point did you decide you wanted to become chair, and why?

Sarah Brayman: It was a big decision for me last fall. In the years I’ve been on the council, I’ve worked for a more accessible and transparent process. I wanted — and this is not meant as a criticism of any former chair — a different kind of leadership. There’s a lot of frustration when you don’t feel heard. Whether or not they get the outcome they want, if people feel they are heard it’s a better process. That to me is the foundation of local governance.

It’s a big time commitment. I would like to see Brunswick continue to grow as a modern community. I really do believe in municipal government, even though it’s a very challenging time to be in government.

TR: What is the biggest priority for the town council this year?

SB: At this point, I don’t know if I can name a single priority. Things always come up, and you’re often surprised as to what’s ended up as most important.

This year, I don’t see anything as a single overriding priority. There are nine councilors, many with different focuses and sets of goals. I see my role as to help facilitate and bring ideas to the council.

Unfortunately, I do think we will be operating in a limited environment due to our budget limitations. That means we’ll be looking at partnerships and alternative funding models. The budgetary limitations will force us to be clear about our priorities.

We have zoning ordinance rewrite coming along. I’d like to see some more environmental initiatives. I’d love to see a commuter bus to Portland.

TR: What role is the new finance committee going to play in the coming year?

SB: The goal of the finance committee is to increase the council’s knowledge of the financial ramifications of the decisions we make. If the three of us (on the financial committee) spend a lot more time drilling into the finances of a given project, that project will already be well vetted and that will lead to a more robust discussion.

This is happening with the Cook’s Corner road, which will probably come to the council next month. I don’t know if the council support is there, but the financial committee has really poked into what the financial assumptions are to this project.

We have started looking at long-range planning. I wanted to see more of a sense of continuity and a bigger picture with the budget.

TR: What are your predictions for the next fiscal year, and will taxpayers be looking at another increase?

SB: It’s hard to predict. There are nine councilors, and the direction where we go with the budget is determined by all nine of us. I do not believe there is much of an appetite for a large tax increase. You have the question of what increase the taxpayers are willing take on. On the other hand, there’s the question of what level of services do the taxpayers accept and want. There’s often a trade-off.

I personally do not expect a flat tax rate, but the councilors do not have an appetite for raising taxes very much. I think you will see a modest increase, but the entire council has to weigh in on that.

TR: It has been about a year since John Eldridge took over as interim, and later as the permanent, town manager.

In what way have things changed between the council and the manager’s office in that time?

SB: I think John works very collaboratively with the council. He’s dedicated to sharing information in a transparent process. Some of the changes John has made seem minor but I think are very important. For example, there’s been a change made to the public hearing process where the council is encouraged to wait until the next meeting to vote on the subject of the hearing. It’s a very practical fix. It gives councilors the opportunity for breathing space. For someone like me, that’s very helpful.

He’s also worked very closely with the council on this Cook’s Corner road and their concerns about the project. He’s putting together a project that meets the needs of the town and the developers. I think John has listened carefully as to what the councilors are thinking about this project.

We’ve had a good tradition in Brunswick with the town manager having an opendoor policy. John has continued that policy, and he’s very happy to explain the history of issues, having been here many years.

jswinconeck@timesrecord.com