KENNEBUNK – A nurse practitioner and a condominium manager are vying for a two-year stint on the select board – the remainder of the term previously held by Peter Brewitt, who resigned earlier this year. Election Day is June 8 with absentee voting is available.
Sally Carpenter and Thomas Wellman are looking to fill the spot.
• Carpenter, noting all current members of the select board are men, said that lack of diversity prompted her decision to seek elected office.
Sally Carpenter Courtesy Photo
A long-time registered nurse who earned a degree in nursing administration, Carpenter later became a nurse practitioner and worked as director for a college medical and counseling center before moving to Kennebunk with her husband in 2012. She now works at a practice in Moody.
“As a nurse practitioner working in a medical practice comprised of older adults … I understand the challenges that come with aging, trying to maintain health, and holding on to independence,” she said. “I am also familiar with the hardships that come with surviving on a fixed income. As a former school nurse, I also recognize how important student education and health is for families in our community.”
She sees community growth as a long-term issue.
“How do we accommodate for growth without losing the small-town charm that we love?” she asked. ” I don’t have all the answers for this, but I do know that we need sensible zoning and we need to be proactive rather than reactive. We need to look to other communities who have also dealt with growth and how it impacted their natural resources, transportation, roads and safety.”
Thomas Wellman Courtesy Photo
• Wellman serves on the Kennebunk Budget Committee, is a member and former chair of Kennebunk Land Trust and is a former Kennebunk selectman.
He said the town needs to maintain a well thought out plan for the future.
“We need to be thinking about what items the town will need in the future, and make sure that we have both the will and the financial resources to carry out the plan without having to raise taxes at an accelerated rate,” said Wellman.
He said planning ahead is the best way to deal with long term financial issues. “Improvements come at a cost and those decisions made today will impact tax rates for years to come,” he said.
The current select board has worked hard to assure there is money to keep infrastructure in good shape, said Wellman, and has been more open to listen to residents’ concerns. He said he’s running to support the present government
“I understand the importance of being open to ideas and also remembering that we need to consider the budget implications of every decision we make,” he said.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
