The two candidates vying for one At-Large seat on the Cumberland Town Council urge improved communication and collaboration with the SAD 51 School Board and the need to meet the growing town’s needs without burdening taxpayers.

Baily Douglass and Scott Jordan, seeking election June 13 to fill outgoing Councilor Allison Foster’s seat, spoke at a Meet the Candidates forum in May.

Douglass

Baily Douglass

The biggest strain on the budget is benefits and salaries, as well as town’s growth, which increases the need for expanded resources such as improvements to the library, Douglass said.

Increasing taxes to offset some of those costs, she said, “puts everyone in a tough spot.”

“We need to start compromising on what is priority,” she said, and collaboration with the SAD 51 School Board is needed for that.

The most important job of a town councilor is listening to constituents in order to create solutions that work for many, Douglass said.

“It’s so imperative to understand what our community members are looking for in their community,” she said. “The first step in doing that is listening.”

Douglass has lived in Cumberland with her husband and three children since 2018. Her 12 years of experience working in operations, including finance and forecasting, will benefit her as a councilor, she said.

Scott Jordan

Jordan

Cumberland residents are concerned about the yearly increase in property taxes, Jordan said, and his goal is to keep taxes as low as possible.

“We have a lot of lifelong residents here, and it becomes extremely difficult for them to live here and stay here,” he said.

At the same time, the town faces needed expenses, such as upgrades for the fire department.

Thoughtful spending and improved communication as a community, council and school board are imperative, he said.

“We do a great job of communicating as a town, but there’s always work to be done,” he said.

Jordan, who has lived in Cumberland with his wife and son for six years, is a U.S. Army veteran who was deployed during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. He has been involved with a number of nonprofit organizations, including the American Parkinson’s Disease Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Portland, Maine, chapter.

His life experiences and his commitment to serving his community have provided him with strong tools to bring to the Town Council, he said.