TOPSHAM — Topsham voters reelected Select Board members David Douglass and Ruth Lyons to new 3-year terms Tuesday.
Both incumbents vied for reelection in a three-way race against Yvette Meunier, who lost out on a spot by 138 votes. Lyons drew 3,685 votes and Douglass got 2,998 votes, according to the unofficial tally. Meunier garnered 2,860 votes.
“I’m very thankful to the people of Topsham,” Lyons said Wednesday. “They’ve always stood by me and I really like serving them and trying to do right by them with a high-level of integrity.”
Lyons said she is also happy to remain on the board so she can keep a watchful eye on the budget to make sure it keeps the town running without spending too much money.
Moving forward, Lyons said the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the town will remain a challenge.
“I personally don’t think we’ve seen the whole effect of this,” she said. “The state budget, they’ve go to spend a lot of money to help keep food on the table of people and I see that as less revenue to the town.”
Lyons said she expects the town will see less revenue from the state. She also touted the board of selectmen’s work with its finance committee set aside money each year in a capital fund the replace fire and police vehicles so the town doesn’t need to borrow the money and accrue debt.
David Douglass said he knew he’d have a tough battle against Meunier, who worked hard on her campaign. Douglass said he is relieved to win his fourth term on the board, which he expects will be his final term.
Over the next three years, Douglass said he’d like to see the town continue planning for a multi-generation community building, which was put on hold when the pandemic struck the state in March. Douglass said by the time his trim ends in November 2023, he’s like the town to be ready to request proposals for the community building.
Douglass said he also hopes the town can find cost savings by getting LED street lights in town. He acknowledged that COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, could affect progress on these projects and the economic health of the town.
“So far we are very healthy financially and continue to be healthier financially than expected,” Douglass said. But selectmen will have to wait and see what happens with the pandemic.
The police department also underwent an assessment by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association and Douglass said it is a high priority to follow the suggestions the association makes to ensure the people in Topsham are getting the high service they expect.
Topsham saw a 79% voter turnout, with 6,619 people voting.
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