Karl Cyr, Kit Maloney, Paul Whitmarsh and former board member David Reed are competing for two three-year terms on the board in the June 13 election.
Cyr, Maloney and Whitmarsh spoke with The Forecaster about their priorities as candidates; Reed declined to be interviewed but provided answers to questions in writing.
Cyr
Karl Cyr
As a political independent, Cyr said he would not bring any particular leanings to the council and would listen to all sides before making decisions for the town.
“I bring a lot of balance to conversations, and I have the ability to listen to everybody and connect with anyone who wants to have a voice in town matters,” Cyr said
As a resident since 2013 with two children in the SAD 51 school system, he has “a lot invested in the town,” he said.
He has been an active volunteer locally and has spent much of his career working in IT with large, diverse groups of people, he said.
“The opportunity to meet a lot of people in town and to have a broad view of issues in town is very appealing to me,” Cyr said.
Cyr and Maloney have endorsed each other in the race.
Maloney
Kit Maloney
Maloney said she’s running because she wants the North Yarmouth community to be united in its priorities.
“I believe in the potential for our community to come together and prioritize transparent and inclusive governance, and sensible and sustainable development,” she said.
Maloney, a member of the town’s Economic Development and Sustainability Committee, said if elected she would focus on sensible and sustainable development within a condensed area of the village center, while protecting the safety of the water supply.
She places a strong emphasis on sustainability and maintaining North Yarmouth’s open spaces.
“I support ordinances that sustain the rural landscapes of the Farm and Forest District,” Maloney said.
She and her family live in the Village Center District.
Reed
David Reed
Reed would focus on long-term strategy. The lack of it is one of the biggest issues facing the town, he said.
“Strategic issues have been put on the back burner while the Select Board is fixated on policy minutiae,” he said. “Some prior strategic decisions were made without much public input, which has led to much of the conflict we see today.”
Reed is seeking a return to the Select Board to bring balance to it, he said.
His previous term, from 2021-22, was difficult, but he “learned a great deal” from it, he said.
In addition to serving on various nonprofit boards, Reed publishes a weekly newsletter on municipal affairs in Gray, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth and Cumberland called “North Yarmouth: We the People.”
Whitmarsh
Paul Whitmarsh
Whitmarsh, the current chairperson of the North Yarmouth Planning Board, said he wants the Select Board to get back to basics.
“I think it’s not as responsive to residents as it has been in the past, and I think it has lost its focus on watching out for the budget,” Whitmarsh said.
He would focus on a long-term strategic plans and the impact on property taxes. The proposed SAD 51 elementary school is “much needed,” he said, but failed because of “sticker shock.”
Whitmarsh, a resident since 2010, is a commercial pilot and former commander in the U.S. Navy.
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