Four candidates are running for two seats on the Yarmouth Town Council in June.

Council Chairman Robert Waeldner is the only incumbent in the race, although Randall Bates has served on the council before. The other candidates – Peter Fromuth and Chris Tanguay – are political newcomers.

The polls will be open 6 a.m.-8 p.m. June 11 at the AMVETS Hall, 148 North Road. Absentee voting is now open. Yarmouth will hold its annual Town Meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at the high school.

Bates said that because the town now has a development director, it’s time to push forward on commercial projects that can help reduce the tax rate, which in turn should help seniors to stay in town.

He’d like to see Yarmouth build its commercial corridor with more small businesses along Route 1 and Main Street. “We need to do what we can to keep taxes low and help keep people here,” Bates said.

“Local politics should be about fixing the roads and sidewalks and keeping the school running at high quality,” he said, not about any specific agenda. “I want to concentrate on Yarmouth. What needs to be done here, locally, that’s our main job.”

He said the sidewalks on Main Street have been “an issue for a while” and while he’s a proponent for the schools, “we have to maintain a balance and watch the budget like a hawk.”

Bates said that Yarmouth has a “vibrant senior community” and he wants to do “anything I can to support seniors.”

That could include looking into affordable housing options, but he also said the town needs to take its time to review the need and how it could be accomplished.

Fromuth said he is concerned that the “hyper-partisanship at the federal level is trickling down to Yarmouth and we can’t get things accomplished with this type of divisiveness.”

After moving to Yarmouth three years ago, Fromuth said he began to notice the acrimony on the Town Council, and that’s why he’s running now.

His focus is on creating a walkable town center and on supporting seniors. Fromuth also said he has “a strong interest in Yarmouth pursuing sustainable energy,” especially a community solar project.

In addition, Fromuth wants to begin negotiating a new agreement with the Wyman power station on Cousins Island, in order to create “an eco-friendly, revenue-positive use” of the aging plant.

Fromuth called the browntail moth infestation a major threat and said the current council is not as fully engaged on this issue as it should be.

Fromuth said he’d like to see stricter zoning rules and said the current land use ordinances are not “community enhancing.” If multifamily housing is going to be allowed, Fromuth said an impact fee should be assessed on each unit.

Tanguay, a Yarmouth native, said he wants to make sure the changes facing the town are managed to limit impacts on schools and municipal services, as well as the property tax.

Tanguay said he’s concerned that “the older generation is getting taxed out of town and I want to do more to help them stay.”

One way to do that would be to increase Yarmouth’s commercial tax base, but Tanguay said any economic development should only be allowed if it’s “in keeping with the town’s character.”

“It still needs that small-town feel,” Tanguay said. “No big boxes.”

He also said the town should plan better for major capital projects, including any additions and renovations at the schools.

Another way to keep costs down, Tanguay said, would be to limit the number of studies the town does, including paying consulting fees.

“We need more oversight and need to look more closely at a lot of the spending,” he said. “We need to consider the impact before spending the money.”

Waeldner said he is running for re-election to help “keep Yarmouth a great place to live.”

He said the biggest issue facing Yarmouth is managing growth and the demand for more services, while maintaining a reasonable tax rate.

Waeldner supported the $52 million school bond that residents approved last fall, as well as the $8.5 million public safety building bond, arguing that there’s a need for investment in community resources.

On the other hand, he said he understands that adding bond payments to the tax rate not only makes it more difficult for Yarmouth to meet other needs, it also adds to the tax burden borne by property taxpayers.

Waeldner said dam removal is another big issue in town, but that he would not favor taking down a dam if it would have negative impact on the harbor and make it more difficult to get federal funds for dredging projects.

Waeldner also wants the town to consider what it can do to support housing that’s affordable for all types of residents, from seniors to police officers and teachers.

Kate Irish Collins — 207-780-9097

kcollins@theforecaster.net

Twitter: @KIrishCollins

Read this story in The Forecaster.

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