A field of six Gorham Town Council candidates are vying for three seats on the seven-member board for three-year terms. The candidates are Kelly Dearborn, Philip Gagnon Jr., Charles Hamblen, Timothy O’Leary III, Samuel Purinton and Seven Siegel.

Phil Gagnon and Seven Siegel are seeking reelection while another incumbent, Rob Lavoie, is stepping down.

Westbrook-Gorham Now asked each candidate questions voters might want to know ahead of the election.

KELLY DEARBORN

Kelly Dearborn, 58, is a business owner and realtor. She is married with five children and volunteers as the treasurer and archivist for Gorham Historical Society.

What is the No. 1 issue facing Gorham?

Gorham is having a developmental crisis that has been left unchecked for many years. This in turn is causing a need for bigger schools, more road maintenance, bigger budgets. If done right Gorham can have commercial and residential development that benefits everyone. Lower taxes, lower cost of living and a better way of life for all Gorham taxpayers.

Why do you want to serve on the Gorham Town Council?

I have the business and developmental experience to help Gorham move forward slowly and responsibly. I want Gorham seniors to be able to stay in their homes and be able to afford their taxes. I want to allow commercial development in already designated areas of Gorham to ease skyrocketing property taxes. Lastly, I want to help make the Gorham school system No. 1 in the state. I loved growing up in Gorham and I want to preserve that for generation to come.

PHILIP GAGNON JR.

What is the No. 1 issue facing Gorham?

The challenge for any community is maintaining its unique character, while meeting the needs of a growing town. Our village centers and commercial areas should be a priority to attract business and diversify our tax base. Gorham is at a crossroads with residential growth, which is straining capacity within our schools, along with worsening our traffic. Partnering with regional and neighboring communities to foster partnerships for transportation and business development will help alleviate pressures brought by our development. If Gorham does not have the proper network of roads and infrastructure to accommodate increasing population density in the area, we may begin to experience traffic similar to before the Bernard Rines Bypass in South Gorham. After the property revaluation left many with substantially higher tax bills, we need to be mindful of our future developments and capital project needs. To be able to maintain a well-funded school and town, managing our taxes through well-planned commercial development will help to lessen the burden.

Why do you want to serve on the Gorham Town Council?

Leadership and thoughtful direction is needed to continue to move Gorham forward. As I began this last term on the Town Council, I championed the creation of an economic study for Gorham, which will help guide our community’s discussions as we begin looking at the comprehensive plan. As Gorham continues to grow residentially, we must identify and properly zone areas that will protect established neighborhoods and their character, while making adjustments that will diversify our tax base with new business development. I have long advocated against large clustered subdivisions, which have been pushed by other councilors, and the erosion of limitations over the last three years. Whether it has been finding solutions to reopen the high school during COVID, to creating joint committees for efficiency between the town and school, I will continue to advocate what is best for Gorham.

CHARLES HAMBLEN

Charles Hamblen, 65, is retired from corporate life and is a full-time farmer. Hamblen is married with four grown children. He has served as a Portland Water District Trustee and on the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust advisory committee.

What is the No. 1 issue facing Gorham?

Trust. Many Gorham residents lack trust in the decisions by town government today. Many recent decisions — lithium battery storage plant, 2,000 new housing units, Amazon land sale, Brickyard Quarry expansion, and the Gorham Connector — have many citizens scratching their heads, what are we doing? Already we have traffic problems, high taxes, and a stressed school system, where are the solutions to these problems? Why are we boldly going where no town has gone before without addressing these current issues? Citizens show up at Town Council meetings to voice concern and are briskly ignored. Town government exists to support town citizens; it does not feel that way in Gorham. We need more transparency from government, significantly more communication and maybe some town halls to let people vent frustrations. We are a community, we want to be a stronger community, let us work together and build one.

Why do want to serve on the Gorham Town Council?

Gorham is in transition. New residents are changing the diversity of town, with new ideas and increased expectations. Gorham government needs to change with the times. A blend of new and old to carry us forward. The comprehensive plan from 2016 needs an update for the future. I am a seventh-generation family farmer and also have decades of senior management experience, specializing in financial and operational efficiency in public businesses. At our farm, we raised cows and hay for decades, then we tried hops for 10 years and (now) grow flowers with two new farmers. The farm needs to look to the future, just like Gorham. My financial expertise and strategic management skills can be applied to government as well. I have unique expertise and the experience to help move Gorham forward. Experience, motivation and a desire to make a difference makes me want to serve.

TIMOTHY O’LEARY III

Timothy O’Leary III is a retired military lieutenant colonel who served 27 years including duty as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and the first Gulf War. He has earned several degrees including school administration. He has served on the Gorham Little League Commission, as an umpire coordinator, and as a Little League/Babe Ruth coach.

What’s the No. 1 issue facing Gorham?

Accountability, transparency, taxation, overspending. (The) board needs to step up and consider the needs of Gorham citizens.

Why do you want to serve on the Gorham Town Council?

Force accountability to an otherwise out-of-control Town Council.

SAMUEL PURINTON

Samuel Purinton, 30, is a grants and contracts associate at the University of Southern Maine. He has a girlfriend and has worked with GrowSmart Maine to advocate for bills in Augusta.

What is the No. 1 issue facing Gorham?

Gorham has many issues, but these are ultimately symptomatic of a deeper issue. The Town Council, as a body, is not responsive to its residents. Case in point: The town recently voted to authorize the sale of a town-owned plot to Amazon. While opinions vary about having Amazon in Gorham, the town’s method of authorizing the land sale minimized public input: The council gave the minimum notice for the public meeting to authorize the sale, and then the actual meeting did not give the opportunity for public input. If Gorham wants to make the right choices in this period of transition, it is vital that the council has a transparent relationship with the residents.

Why do you want to serve on the Gorham Town Council?

Gorham is in a period of transition. If we make the wrong choices now, Gorham could lose its rural character without making housing (or property taxes) more affordable for Gorham residents. If we make good choices, we can accommodate the pressure to grow without giving up our rural character. To get to the future Gorham we want, the town’s councilors will have to think outside the box when working to make Gorham both affordable and rural. I believe I can be a councilor who can think outside the box to find unorthodox solutions for Gorham and its residents.

SEVEN SIEGEL

Seven Siegel, 35, is a high school STEM teacher and is married with one child. Siegel has served a three-year term on the Town Council and previously was on the Planning Board for six months.

What is the No. 1 issue facing Gorham?

In my time as a councilor, I’ve learned that the No. 1 issue facing Gorham is ongoing infrastructure maintenance. With every passing year, the list of maintenance needs for roads, buildings, schools, and bridges grows. We must have a careful plan for ongoing upkeep and funding. Sustained, incremental maintenance over time is the key. This is where our No. 1 issue meets our No. 1 opportunity: the new comprehensive plan. Next year, the council will begin working on the comprehensive plan, which determines the zoning and land use in Gorham for at least the next decade. By keeping maintenance front of mind as we craft the plan, we can ensure that the impacts of growth will not exceed the town’s existing needs. I want to be a voice in the room to guarantee that our new comprehensive plan is written with the future in mind, and puts Gorham on the right path.

Why do you want to serve on the Gorham Town Council?

I’m running for reelection because of this phrase I keep hearing from constituents: “You were the only councilor who responded to me.” I know how it feels to be the person on the other end of the email or phone call trying to find someone to listen. That’s why I make it a priority to respond to every message I get, including people who disagree with me. By working together with people who have reached out, we’ve been able to make great changes in Gorham, like making sure the medical loan closet is properly funded or updating our mobile home park ordinance, which hadn’t been looked at since 1987. I believe it’s very important that people feel they can always communicate with their elected officials and always get a response. If that’s important to you too, please vote for me, Seven Siegel.