Suzanne Phillips

Lee Pratt

Ronald Shepard

GORHAM — Voters facing a potential multimillion-dollar high school project in the fast growing town will choose two winners from four candidates for Town Council in next month’s municipal election.

Candidates seeking three-year Town Council terms are Mark C. Faulkner, Suzanne E. Phillips, Lee R. Pratt and incumbent Ronald W. Shepard. The municipal election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Interest in the race was heightened when longtime town councilor and current chairman Michael Phinney did not seek re-election on the seven-member board.

The new Town Council and School Committee will wrestle with how best to deal with an aging, overcrowded high school. The town has been called one of the state’s fastest growing communities. With a population estimated to be well over 17,000, the high school that opened in 1959 is feeling a space crunch.

The Town Council in September loaned the School Committee $150,000 to commence planning a high school project. But, last week the School Committee postponed a discussion about hiring an architect until  a special meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, Superintendent Heather Perry said this week.

The high school was renovated in the 1990s to accommodate 750 students. The enrollment this fall was about 850, 15 more than in 2016, but down from a high of about 900 students a few years ago.

Town taxpayers in a referendum in 2018 could be asked to fund a multimillion dollar high school project without benefit of state money.

Three council candidates contacted this week weighed in on issues for the American Journal. Faulkner could not be reached for comment despite repeated telephone attempts.

Phillips, 41, is a former town councilor and her current term on the School Committee is expiring. Phillips, a nanny and photographer, said the town didn’t prepare for the growth and it needs to manage it on both the town and school sides.

“We need to deal with the high school first,” she said.

Phillips feels a high school project is necessary. She said it’s important to have what’s needed and make it affordable for taxpayers. “I don’t think taxpayers in Gorham should be asked to pay for a new high school,” she said.

Pratt, 36, is serving in his first Planning Board term, an appointed position. He said he’s running for the Town Council to have more input. Pratt is vice president of operations at ODAT Machine Inc., a family-owned business.

As for a high school project, Pratt wants to see what the School Committee proposes. “(It’s) a real hot topic in town,” Pratt said.

He wants the town to be affordable to live in and he would favor a high school project in the $15 million-$16 million range. He said he wants the town to grow smart.  “We’ve got to stabilize the growth,” Pratt said.

Shepard, 69, was elected to the Town Council after retiring as police chief. He is the board’s vice chairman.

A main issue, Shepard said, is a high school renovation. “If we decide it’s needed, we have to make sure the taxpayers can afford it,” Shepard said.

Shepard would want a project that meets needs of students without being grandiose. Shepard said a tax subsidy is needed for senior citizens and a spur linking Gorham to the Maine Turnpike is another priority. “I’ve enjoyed my three years on the council,” Shepard said. “I’d like to continue my work.”

Gorham Community Access Television will present two forums for citizens to meet candidates for the Town Council and the School Committee.

Candidates night for the Town Council is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the GoCat Studio, 75 South St..

The School Committee candidates’ night will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at  the Town Council chambers, 75 South St., with the candidates for the one-year term at 6:30 p.m. and candidates for three-year terms, 7:15 p.m.

Robert Lowell can be reached at 854-2577 or [email protected]