PARTY AFFILIATION: Declined to answer
PREVIOUS ELECTED EXPERIENCE: None
Why are you running for the Select Board?
Since retiring, I’ve had the time to “give back” to the town where I have lived for many years. I was appointed to the town’s Finance Advisory Committee three years ago and have served as Chair for the last two years. In that capacity, I have learned the nuts and bolts of how the town operates. I am now ready to take that knowledge and my professional experience to the next level to serve the town.
What are some of the challenges facing the Select Board over the next three years?
The town is undertaking a major project to relocate our Public Works Department from its present location along the river to a new, as yet to be determined, inland site. This will require the acquisition of land and the construction of a new building. At the same time, our Waterfront Plan, which dates to 2005, must be updated so that the current site can be transformed into a park/recreational area.
We have a very efficient and well run town government. We have managed to keep increases to the tax rate (for the share that supports town government) to a bare minimum for the last few years in spite of a significant decrease in municipal revenue sharing (money received from the state). While we all understand how important the education of our children is, the construction of a new high school will have an adverse impact on our tax rate. The Select Board will have to decide how best to cushion this.
What attributes do you have that make you the best candidate for the job?
I have an appreciation for how special a place Bowdoinham is and I am grateful that our children were able to grow up here. My career as a consulting engineer has taught me to listen very carefully to what clients and stakeholders say. As an engineer and project manager I have a great deal of experience working in teams. I believe that these skills, along with my work on the Finance Advisory Committee, make me the best candidate.
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