WISCASSET

The incumbent chairwoman and two residents who have a history of involvement in municipal affairs are vying for two positions on the Board of Selectmen in June 11 municipal elections.

Voters will consider the municipal elections and 54 questions on the annual Town Meeting warrant at the Wiscasset Community Center. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Chairwoman Pamela Dunning, former Selectman David Nichols and Timothy Merry, who helped spearhead the RSU Withdrawal Committee, are the candidates for the Board of Selectmen. William Curtis is stepping down.

Dunning is running for a third two-year term. She said capital improvement programs are helping the town move forward, and the property tax rate of $15.70 per $1,000 in assessed property value is a plus.

“Wiscasset is getting more business friendly,” said Dunning, who is director of the Wiscasset Public Library. “I want to be there to help move things forward.

“Wiscasset has a long history of boom and bust. The town has often gone from wealthy times to times of need. Since the closing of Maine Yankee, Wiscasset and its citizens have been struggling to maintain infrastructure and services in town. I am hoping the town will begin to grow again with the improvement of the economic climate. I would like to stay active and involved … so I can continue to look for more ways to attract business and encourage that growth.”

Dunning served on the Wiscasset Budget Committee for several years.

Nichols has served on the board twice, the last time in 2011-12.

“There should be some competition,” Nichols said. “I have no particular agenda. I just want to help the town.”

Merry, the town’s fire chief for nearly two decades and still a member of the Fire Department, emphasized he is “not a politician.” The Board of Selectman must do a better job of listening to residents when they vote down a budget item, he said.

“There seems to be a huge concern in this town — there’s a disconnect between the taxpayers and town government,” Merry said. “Taxpayers vote something down, and the board says it doesn’t understand why, and keeps bringing it back.”

Town officials must consider cutting services to keep spending in line, Merry said.

“ Get creative,” he said. “Either consolidate, or end it. Don’t underfund stuff. It’s not going to function properly.”

lgrard@timesrecord.com