About the candidate
Amy Leshure is a finance leader and community advocate with experience in economic development and municipal government.
Education
Bachelor’s degrees and professional certificates
Previous times run for office and elected office held
Vice chair of the Damariscotta select board from 2017-2019 and chair of its finance committee.
Why are you running?
I am running for county commissioner to end the contract with ICE, ensure responsible stewardship of tax dollars, help strengthen our local economy, and continue support for residents.
Editor’s note: This survey was sent out before the county voted to end the jail’s contract with ICE.
Top three priorities
My top three priorities will be to not renew the ICE contract, stabilize the county’s jail budget and establish better coordination with the state on health services.
What is the biggest challenge facing your town/county? The biggest opportunity?
Cumberland County faces a number of fiscal headwinds, including declining federal grant dollars leading to budget instability and overreliance on ICE funding for the jail. The opportunity ahead is clear: work hard on budget stabilization and partner with the state to secure reliable funding for law enforcement operations and health services creating a more stable and sustainable financial future.
If you could change one thing about how the town/county functions, what would it be and why?
I will not vote to continue the county jail contract with ICE. We cannot trade the loss of Fourth Amendment rights of our residents for funding dollars.
Do you support more development – i.e. more housing construction and business building in your town/county? Why or why not?
I support increasing construction of workforce housing in population centers and conscientious preservation of green spaces.