In a free-for-all race for the Gorham Town Council, seven candidates are running for three available seats in next month’s municipal election.

Only one incumbent, Janet Kuech, is seeking reelection to the seven-member council. The other six candidates are Michelle Inman Carlson, Claude Daigle III, Phillip Gagnon Jr., Christopher Kelley, Robert Lavoie and Seven Siegel.

Sitting councilors James Hager and Benjamin Hartwell have stepped down.

Each of the three seats carries a three-year term.

The candidates say the top issues in town are growth, crowded schools and taxes. Gorham’s population as of July 1, 2021, was 18,426, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, up 4.4% since 2018.

Here’s what the candidates told the American Journal:

Carlson

The town faces a “significant” growth problem without sufficient infrastructure to support it, Carlson says.

“It is imperative to focus on attracting businesses while managing residential growth so that our overcrowded schools and overworked emergency services have the resources needed,” she said.

“Although traffic and parking have improved since COVID hit, it remains an issue. The recent re-evaluation of homes and continued approvals of housing developments show the pleas of residents are not being heard, and the current plan to address growth is more distressing than effective,” she said.

Carlson, 48, who did not disclose a political affiliation, is married with three sons. She is a clinical social worker and also has been a school volunteer.

Daigle

Daigle says residents he has talked with are concerned about property tax changes and residential growth management.

“I see these two as being strongly tied together by town budgets, he said. “The budget is decided and must be funded by property taxes, which leads to open land being too expensive to hold, thereby putting it at risk of development, at which point budgets increase.”

“Too narrow a focus” is given, Daigle said, to many issues.

“Solutions and expenditures should benefit and serve a majority of the residents, not strictly town promotion. The town is a sum of all residents, not a separate entity to be compared to neighboring towns. There needs to be a change in the way solutions are found, a true collaboration of all staff, appointees and elected councilors. This is where my strengths lie,” said Daigle, who mounted a strong but unsuccessful council bid in 2018.

Daigle, 53, is a Republican, married with two children. He is an agronomic manager for a landscape supply firm and manager of Colonial Acres Farm in Gorham.

Gagnon

Bringing a financial background to the race, Gagnon points to the need to attract business and broaden the tax base.

“The challenge for any community is maintaining its unique character, while meeting the needs of an ever-growing town,” he said. “Our village centers and commercial areas should be a priority to attract business and diversify our tax base. I have emphasized sustainable growth while on the school board and feel I can continue to move Gorham forward with my return to the Town Council.

Gagnon is a School Committee member with an expiring term and a former Town Council chairperson.

During the pandemic, Gagnon found a solution in utilizing space in the municipal center as extra classrooms for high school students.

Gagnon, 45, married with three children, is unenrolled in a political party. He is a senior credit officer and bank vice president and has served on various town boards and committees. He also is a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters

Kelley

Kelley says the major challenge on the minds of many is growth.

“We can’t keep moving on this same trajectory and expect a different result,” he said. “I think the recent tax reassessment made it clear that we need to take a hard look at our plans for the future.”

He advocates bringing in new businesses to help reduce the tax burden on residents.

“We need to continue to work toward becoming more business friendly and steps have already been taken in that direction,” he  said. “Balancing growth while maintaining our village character will be challenging, but it’s possible.”

Kelley, 41, is married and has two sons. He did not disclose not a political affiliation. A sales and business development executive, he has served on the Gorham Economic Development Corp. for six years including three as chairman. He also has been an American Legion Dirigo Boys State counselor for 10 years.

Kuech

Gorham has growing pains, Kuech says.

“There are tensions between people with long and short histories here. There are tensions between families with school-age children and people without. There are tensions between using land for housing, agriculture, commerce and conservation,” she said.

There are also concerns that Gorham has become unaffordable, she said.

Using what she has learned in her first three years on the council, she said, she “will continue to advocate for Gorham by sharing information and advocating at the local and state levels.”

Kuech, 64, a Democrat, is married with three children. She won election in 2019 and filed a court lawsuit after the Town Council denied her a seat because she was employed at Narragansett Elementary. Avoiding litigation, the board seated her after court mediation resolved the matter.

She is now employed at George E. Jack Elementary in Standish. In Gorham, Kuech has served on the All Day Kindergarten and K-5 Configuration committees and several state professional committees.

Lavoie

The town has several major issues to address in the next few years, Lavoie says.

“Balancing residential and business growth is critical while maintaining our village and community appeal,” he said. “The schools will always be a priority. We need to make sure that our kids have a safe and rewarding educational experience.”

Every town has challenges, he said.

“A balanced Town Council that honors Gorham’s roots while planning for its future, in a fiscally responsible way, is what we need,” he said.

Lavoie, 43, is married with two children and is not enrolled in a political party. A chiropractor in town, he is a past chairman of the Gorham Conservation Commission, a member of the business exchange, past president and member of the Greater Portland chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association, and project manager for Gorham’s pump track.

Siegel
Siegel says the town doesn’t have just one top issue because major issues are interconnected.

“Our crowded schools, growing debt, lack of businesses, and high residential taxes are all because Gorham doesn’t have a long-term strategy,” said Siegel, a Planning Board member. “The key to fixing our problems isn’t just to address a few issues. The key to fixing our problems is to develop a long-term strategy designed to create a balanced tax base and budget.”

Siegel, 32 and married, is a Democrat. He is the senior product manager at Harvard Business School Publishing. He also volunteers at Long Creek Youth Development Center.

The council election is set for Nov. 8. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ward 1-1 votes at Gorham Middle School, 106 Weeks Road; Ward 1-2, Great Falls Elementary School, 73 Justice Way; and Ward 2, Shaw Gym, municipal center, 75 South St.

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