One of my priorities during the recent special election campaign was to help with long-term planning for the many upcoming local projects and fiscal challenges a growing community like Scarborough will be facing over the next decade. I’m happy to report that the Town Council has started this work and WE, the people, have the opportunity to make this type of planning part of our Town Charter.

The Council finished its preliminary review of the Charter Committee recommendations and among the handful of items that are moving forward in the process is a provision that will identify capital improvement items, current town assets and anticipated replacement/repair costs. This is a step in the right direction. Having this information available and updated on an annual basis will not only serve as a great planning tool for the Council, it will also provide greater insight, transparency and ease of access for all to better understand the needs and potential future costs of local projects.

There are still many steps in the process before this type of long-term planning is memorialized in Scarborough’s Town Charter. The Council needs to finalize the language, hold the public hearings, vote to send it to the ballot in November — then finally, the people of Scarborough would need to support the change in the Charter. It’s not a done deal by any stretch — but we are certainly one step closer to looking at Scarborough as one community with a unified plan.

I’m excited to have begun working on behalf of the people of Scarborough. To the Scarborough community, I am truly honored to serve you and I promise to give you my best. I am eager to work alongside you to continue to make Scarborough one of the best communities in Maine to call home. To my family, my friends, my neighbors, and my supporters — thank you, thank you, thank you!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Scarborough Town Council.