Previous Offices Held
None.
Top Three Priorities
I’m running for Town Council to work tirelessly to rekindle the passion and love for this amazing community that seems to be fading. If elected I pledge to work to improve current communication methods to find new ways to share our concerns and work together toward common good. Our community needs a more transparent and citizen-driven means to establish priorities for our limited Town resources and then to set a clear budget framework to support those priorities.
Why are you running?
South Berwick is an amazing place to live, with unique history and strong community. It’s why my family and I returned when our Coast Guard days ended. Some say those days are gone. I don’t agree, but understand after hearing from many that we’ve lost the foundation of our community. The heart of this Town is beating strong. I know that because of the emotion in the voices of those who tell me what it used to be. I’m running for Town Council to rekindle the passion and love for this community.
What is the biggest challenge facing your town/county? The biggest opportunity?
Our Town is facing a crisis in trust. Residents don’t trust Town government, and some Town Councilors seem to share that lack of trust. Meanwhile the banter on social media seems to constantly pit one faction against another, with seemingly little effort to find understanding or to work toward compromise. As a Town we need to get better at listening to each other. If elected I pledge to work to expand current methods and find new ways to share our concerns and work together toward common good.
If you could change one thing about how the town/county functions, what would it be and why?
I’ll look for ways to increase public input to our budget process. The community deserves a powerful voice in setting service and other priorities, but to have that voice, the Council needs to better manage the process to inform and gather that information. Our process provides limited opportunity for input, and in most cases the window to engage comes so late that substantive changes are nearly impossible. I’ll work for a more structured process that sets clear expectations and goals for all.
Do you support more development – i.e. more housing construction and business building in your town/county? Why or why not?
I support development that balances property rights and natural resources of our community, while seeking opportunities to responsibly grow. Our Town could benefit from added business, but expanded commercial activity must be done in a way that adds to the community without additional consequences like traffic congestion. Additional housing could be beneficial but we can’t abandon the rural nature of our Town by allowing unchecked urban sprawl and the added burden it would have on Town services.