Dan Allen, 49, who lives on Monroe Drive, is running for the Naples Board of Selectmen.
Allen is married with three sons. He graduated from high school in Hamilton, Massachusetts and served in the U.S. Army at Fort Lewis in Seattle, Washington. He is the owner of the Causeway Marina on the Chute River.
What background/experience would you bring to the position?
Dan Allen: I would treat the town like any business I’ve been involved with. It needs to be run like a business. It has to make or, I should say, it can’t lose money. You have to have that knack for making it work. Not everyone who runs a business can make it successful.
Why are you running for election to the board?
Allen: Why am I running? My main reason is that I feel that Naples has been stagnant for too long. Tourism is number one in Maine and Naples is not focusing on that. They have no future plans for more bedrooms, motels, hotels. Businesses and tourism are such easy money for the town budget as far as taxes and I think we should be pro-business. The causeway has looked that way since I was five years old playing on that causeway. It has not changed right down to the green fence and the flowerboxes.
What are your top concerns in regard to the future of Naples?
Get the downtown revitalized. I’m on the committee now. I’ve been going to all the meetings and been really a proponent of it for years now. When it was brought up years ago, I was part of it then. There’s a plan in effect right now that I’m all for. It addresses some of the parking (issues), modernizing the look of the causeway. It addresses places for people to enjoy the causeway. The tourists tell me ‘Well, we’d stop but there’s never a place to stop. It’s nice to slow down and look but if we can’t pull into a parking space, we’re not going to spend our money here.’
What qualities do you possess that make you the best candidate for the position?
Allen: I’ve run a successful marina for sixteen years. I’m prior military. I’m a good guy, a family man, well-established, not going anywhere. I want to be part of the future for my kids. I’m a regular Joe from a regular job that feels that he can do really good for this town. People may not always agree with me, but I say what’s from my heart and always stand up for what I believe.
If elected, what would be your first priority?
Allen: Have someone explain the school budget to me to prove me wrong. I say that because a lot of people that know I’m running now are talking about this. I’d pay twice what we’re paying now for students if they came out educated. I want some answers and I’m going to pass my answers on to the people of Naples and if they’re happy with the answers I give them, then this budget shouldn’t be an issue.
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