Voters in Naples on May 25 will decide who will fill two seats on the Selectboard.

The terms of the Selectboard seats up for grabs are for three years.

Incumbents Caleb Humphrey and Jim Turpin are hoping to be reelected to another term, but Colin Brackett and former selectman Kevin Rogers are hoping to unseat them.

Brackett said he hopes to “change the direction of Naples politics.”

Brackett wants to focus on economic, infrastructure, environmental and business developments; the safety of residents, whether related to the pandemic, the drug epidemic or staying safe on the water; and reuniting the community by “stopping outside agendas and ensuring that all town members voices are heard and to provide leadership and direction that the town has been missing.”

Humphrey also wants to focus on creating a better sense of community in Naples. Over the last two years, that sense of community has been lost, he said.

“Between endless political division, government mandated isolation, fear of what may come, stalled economic impact, rapid inflation, we have lost sight that we still have neighbors,” Humphrey said. “We can make something better than before. Something stronger, more intertwined, more accepting.”

Other top priorities, Humphrey said, are rebuilding the business community in Naples and completing projects that have been placed on the back burner, including getting up to date on repairs and paving projects and keeping infrastructure “at the expected level of performance.”

“We have dealt with too many years of having stuff put out of sight out of mind,” Humphrey said. “These issues need to be looked at and properly addressed. They affect a lot of individuals in town, in quality of service as well as the personal expense encountered from these short comings.”

If reelected, Turpin said he would focus on keeping the tax rate stagnant by making sure increases in municipal spending remain “in line with growth in the underlying tax base.”

Further priorities, Turpin said, would be driven by the town’s comprehensive plan, “which reflects the will of our citizens toward preserving the rural village character of Naples, while recognizing that we are a seasonal tourist town, with growth expected.”

Rogers said he would not bring a list of priorities with him to the board, but would focus on keeping the budget in check and taxes reasonable and monitoring in-house and contracted government services

“I feel if I were to list off any priorities I was putting my name on the ballot for then I’d have a special agenda,” Rogers said. “I don’t have a special agenda. I have an interest in sharing the opinions I’ve acquired from the people around me that have helped in molding my own. Every decision the Selectboard faces is important equally.”

The candidates said they plan to focus on rebounding from the coronavirus pandemic.

Brackett said businesses succeeded in implementing guidance and distancing recommendations to keep residents and visitors safe, and the town “did great job surviving (through) this pandemic and adapting to ever changing Center for Disease Control guidance.”

Turpin said the town “has supported the flexibility needed for our businesses to adapt as necessary to survive the challenges of the age of COVID, while encouraging the safety protocols that have made Maine one of the safest places to be during this pandemic.”

Humphrey said town officials have “done the best we could,” given the lack of experience municipalities had in handling a global pandemic.

“Hindsight will always be 20/20,” Humphrey said. “We will always be saying we should have had more resources. We will always say we could have done more, I don’t think any individual could claim to say otherwise. Pushing forward, we need to make sure we have resources available and better response plans.”

Rogers said the town “did a good job at adhering to protocol,” even with the swell of people using the second homes to isolate or not leaving town to go to work.

“Although there were some mainstream examples made of local outbreaks, they were due to the character of the virus and it’s ability to spread in the fashion it did,” Rogers said. “The town did what it was required, plus some,  and it only suffered one saddening local loss to COVID.”

Polls will be open at the town office gym, 15 Village Green Lane, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 25.

More information and sample ballots can be found at townofnaples.org.

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