Mark J. Blier
Age: 51
Address: 50 Hall Road
Occupation: Real estate professional
Political experience: Currently represents Maine House District 22; Board of Selectman, three years; Planning Board, two years, Comprehensive Plan, two years, present chairman.
Caleb G. Porter
Age: 24
Address: 89 Woodridge Drive
Occupation: Business owner
Political experience: None
Mark A. Smith Sr.
Age: 56
Address: 38 Middle Camp Road
Occupation: Retired
Political experience: 2007 candidate for Board of Selectmen
Roger C. Tracy
Age: 31
Address: 96 Tracy Road
Occupation: Business owner
Political experience: None
Scott A. Warchol
Age: 57
Address: Ferncroft Road
Occupation: Maine Turnpike Authority construction program manager
Political experience: Zoning Appeals Board, five years; Budget Committee, four years, MSAD 6 Budget Advisory Committee, three years
BUXTON — Six candidates are seeking a pair of open seats on the Board of Selectmen in the upcoming municipal election.
Mark J. Blier, who is seeking re-election, is facing challengers Thomas J. Peters, Caleb G. Porter, Mark A. Smith Sr., Roger C. Tracy and Scott A. Warchol.
Longtime Selectman Clifford Emery, who is also the board chairman, is not running for re-election.
Both seats are for three-year terms.
In the only contested race for a seat in School Administrative District 6, two Hollis residents are squaring off for a three-year term. Incumbent Lester Harmon, former board chairman, is facing challenger Donald Marean, who represents House District 16 in the Legislature.
Elections are set for Tuesday, June 11 at Town Hall, 185 Portland Road, where the polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The last day for Buxton voters to request an absentee ballot is Thursday, June 6.
Voters will also be asked to validate a proposed $49.8 million Maine School Administrative District 6 school budget, if it’s approved in a district meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 30 at Bonny Eagle Middle School, 92 Sokokis Trail, Buxton. Buxton is one of the five towns comprising SAD 6, which also includes Hollis, Limington, Standish and Frye Island.
In the selectmen’s race, Blier, who is a Realtor, suggested an engineer’s survey should be conducted in town to determine road conditions. With information and town approval, he said a bond could be in place to repair those in the worst condition. If prepared, Blier said the town could benefit from an “economic downturn” when contractors are not “buried with work.”
Peters, the owner of excavation firm Peters Construction, Inc., said he’s not hearing many issues from the voters with whom he’s spoken. But Peters did say people are worried about property taxes, and he favors managing town growth without “taxes going out of control.”
Porter, who grew up in Buxton, owns Porter Property Services landscaping company. He also favors having the town step up its investment in roads,as some road improvements in the last five to 10 years didn’t last. “Roads are a key issue in town,” he said.
Smith advocates more accountability and transparency from the Board of Selectmen. Smith, who ran unsuccessfully for selectman in 2007, feels residents who ask questions about town business are brushed off, saying the selectmen themselves are the top issue. “It’s the No. 1 concern I hear from people,” Smith said.
Tracy, owner of Skip’s Lounge in Buxton, would work to restore what he described as the town’s lost sense of community, where once “everybody knew everybody.” Tracy stressed that he’s not a politician, but about town government, he said, “It has turned into a closed-door system.”
Warchol, a construction program manager with Maine Turnpike Authority, said people are concerned about local taxes. Warchol said he thinks people want change but don’t “tell you why.” He also felt selectmen have been conservative and the town has been run well for 20 years. If elected, he would also like the board to get periodic updates from department heads.
Robert Lowell can be reached at 780-9089 or email rlowell@keepmecurrent.com.
Thomas J. Peters
Age: 39
Address: 74 FlaggyMeadow Road
Occupation: Business owner
Political experience: One year Planning Board
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