PLACE OF RESIDENCY: Brunswick

PARTY AFFILIATION: Democrat

PREVIOUS ELECTED EXPERIENCE: Two terms as State representative for part of Brunswick.

With aging schools and infrastructure such as the landfill and fire station, how do you see yourselves best serving Brunswick from Augusta?

My goal in Augusta is to serve as a strong advocate and ally for the people of Brunswick and to ensure that the state and town are partners. When the state cuts revenue sharing and does not fully fund our schools, it unfairly shifts the burden onto the municipalities, whose only recourse usually is to increase property taxes. In Augusta, we need to continue to restore and increase revenue sharing and to work on fully funding our schools at the state level. These two factors alone would help alleviate many of the expenses that the town faces and hopefully help to lower property taxes, which are the most frequently mentioned concern at every door I have knocked on this fall.

Also it is important to serve as a resource for our town. During my past two terms, I have tried to make sure that our community has as much information and resources as possible. Whether it is fighting for funding increases for our town or helping a citizen find the necessary help, I have worked hard every day to get what we need for our town. I am always available for constituents’ concerns. These are difficult times in our state and nation, but I hope I can continue to be one of our voices in Augusta and together we can work hard to chart the best course forward.

Are there special challenges you feel yourself more adept to handling or more drawn to in a leadership role?

One of my guiding principles is that a good leader must listen and be open to dialogue. I take pride in my ability to actively listen and let that inform my decisions. We may not always agree, but we can have a civil discussion and exchange of ideas. Politics cannot exist in a vacuum and reaching out and listening to different opinions has helped me grow and evolve as a leader. Being a State Representative is like going back to school, there is so much to learn and the best way to learn is to listen.

Another value I hold dear is civility. To be a strong and true leader, you must treat others with respect. Too often, especially in the current national political environment, we see civility fall by the wayside. I have taken a civility pledge and treat my colleagues in Augusta with respect and dignity regardless of their party affiliation. We all want to make Maine (and Brunswick) a better place, we just do not always agree on how we do that and the best way we can accomplish any of our goals is with civility.

How do you see the state’s role in education; particularly with the mandated support currently not being funded through Augusta?

The best and most important investment we can make as a state and a community is in education! The state and school districts have to be partners in this endeavor. The state needs to meet its obligation to fund our schools at 55 percent. As a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, I have fought every budget cycle to do so, and we have made progress, but we are woefully behind at meeting our state funding goal. Meeting that funding level would not only help our schools, but potentially help decrease regressive property taxes. I firmly believe in the power of education and that education is a right, not a privilege. If I’m re-elected, I will continue to be a champion who works to increase state funding of our schools.