About the Candidate

I have a long track record of community service as both a volunteer and elected official, including the city council, the school committee and my current position on the Biddeford Planning Board.

Education

Biddeford High School, class of 1971; Undergraduate coursework at St. Francis College (Univerity of New England) and Husson University.

Previous campaigns and elected office(s) held

My public service as an elected official stretches back more than 40 years. I would need another sheet of paper to list all those details.

Why are you running?

I have a long record of public service and giving back to my community. I want to broaden my approach at the county level. I am a good listener and possess the ability to find dialogue amongst tough issues. I always seek a different perspective in tough situations to find compromise.

Top three priorities

1.) Keeping the county expenditures within budget.

2.) Continue seeking increased revenue via federal grants or other sources.

3.) Making sure that York County communities are being assessed equally on needs and not wants.

If you could change one thing about how York County functions, what would it be and why?

Overall, I believe our county functions well. I do think having an elected county treasurer is redundant and a waste of precious taxpayer funds, especially considering that our county already employs a finance director and auditor.

What is the biggest challenge facing your county? The biggest opportunity?

Making sure that we receive continued state and federal funding, as we almost lost a substantial amount of money from the state for the county jail. I would try to be in direct contact with the state legislators from our district to vote in favor of our request from the county.

I believe there are always opportunities for increased efficiencies and collaboration within our county government structure. These opportunities will help minimize budget increases and improve county services.

Do you support more development – i.e. more housing construction and business building in your county? Why or why not?

In my opinion, there is no standard response. Each proposed residential or commercial development must be reviewed based upon its own specific merits, potential benefits and adherence to existing regulatory guidelines. This is the same approach I use as a member of the Biddeford Planning Board.