There is only one contested local race on the ballot in Freeport this election. In the race for the District 4 seat on the Town Council, incumbent Chairman James Cassida is squaring off against challenger Andy Wellen for a three-year term. The Tri-Town Weekly recently solicited their views on challenges facing Freeport.
James Cassida
Age: 49
Occupation: Principal ecologist and regulatory specialist at Normandeau Associates Inc.; previously the director of the division of land resource regulation at Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Political experience: Freeport School Board 2000-2001; Freeport Town Council 2003-present.
Q: What do you think the three most important issues facing Freeport are?
A: The important issues identified by Freeport residents all focus on improving our quality of life. We are blessed with incredible assets in Freeport, including good schools, abundant open space, recreational opportunities and a strong commercial sector, however, despite our strengths, Freeport residents have overwhelmingly impressed upon me the strong desire to improve our assets in a manner that directly benefits their ability to live and prosper in our community. The principal concerns voiced by residents center around: controlling taxes so that everyone can afford to call Freeport home; improving opportunities for healthy living and social interaction; and expanding our business sector to include more services that are directly tailored to Freeport residents.
Q: What do you think the solutions are?
A: Controlling taxes is the undercurrent to everything we do on the Town Council. Virtually each decision that is made is viewed through the lens of short- and long-term costs for taxpayers. On balance, the council has found creative ways to improved service delivery for residents while controlling costs. Year after year we have improved service delivery while minimizing and sometimes decreasing the municipal services portion of the local mil rate. Despite our accomplishments, we can do more. The property tax burden is a serious issue for us all but particularly for our elderly on fixed incomes. Many of Freeport’s longest tenured citizens bought their homes prior to the valuation booms of the 1980s and ’90s, and today are finding it increasingly difficult to pay their taxes while keeping food on the table and heating oil in the oil tank. I would like to explore ways to cap or defer property tax assessments for individuals on fixed incomes. Other parts of the country have already done a lot of work in this area and I believe that we can build off their work to develop a system for our community that is fair and balanced for everyone and protects our friends and neighbors with limited income.
Improving opportunities for healthy living social interaction: Healthy living is a term that has come into prominence in Freeport over the past year. In my view, it is simply an extension of a longstanding desire in Freeport to build community. Building community has meant something different over time but the common thread centers around a strong desire to develop assets that are for our use and enjoyment. Building recreation fields, developing open space, and opening a community center as a place to meet and a home for our teens and elders are great examples of efforts that were initiated by Freeport residents for Freeport residents. I am extremely proud to have been involved in these projects and I want to continue to work actively with our engaged citizenry and explore ways to improve our communities walking and cycling opportunities to connect our diverse assets in a manner that respects our natural resources and neighborhood character but which also enhances the opportunity for all Freeport residents to safely use and enjoy Freeport’s special places. This will undoubtedly be a long-term project but with proper planning we can develop a unified vision for our community that can inform future decisions and prioritize projects.
Freeport needs to continue to explore ways to develop businesses that provide direct services for community residents. I am proud to have been involved in bringing Shaw’s to our community, facilitating the expansion of the Bow Street Market, and crafting an agreement that returned a movie theater to our community for the first time in many years. These are great examples of business development that was for Freeport residents. I will continue to work with local business leaders to develop service-oriented businesses that serve our community. I will also work hard to support Freeport’s small business community. There are roughly 650 businesses in Freeport and only 150 or so are located in shops on Main Street. The vast majority are sole proprietorships or other small businesses with only a few employees. These businesses are the backbone of our community.
Q: How do you think the coming of the Downeaster will impact Freeport?
A: I am very excited about the Downeaster and I believe that it is going to be a wonderful asset for our community. Undoubtedly it will bring tourists from away to visit and spend money and strengthen our local economy, but I am most excited about the opportunity it will provide for us to easily catch an outgoing train and go to Boston or beyond for the day or a weekend. This is a tremendous opportunity for Freeport and I hope everyone takes full advantage of it. The council has been investigating the establishment of “quiet zones” and I believe that we can find a balance that ensures public safety at railroad crossings and provides adequate protection from noise impacts for those residents living in close proximity to the crossings.
Andy Wellen
Age: 51
Occupation: Clinical social worker
Political experience: Working with various community groups.
Q: What do you think the three most important issues facing Freeport are?
A: The main reason that I am running for Town Council is that I want to help keep Freeport a desirable place to live and work. We have a wonderful town here that is unique in many ways. I believe for us to keep those things that make us a special place, we need a thoughtful and more balanced approach to how we operate as a town. More specifically, I think the three most important issues we currently face are:
1. Keeping taxes affordable so we can continue to be an economically and socially diverse community.
2. Protecting our rural residential neighborhoods while supporting appropriate, smart growth in our commercial areas. The investments of citizens in their residential property deserve respect. A balanced approach to economic development protects the interests of 100 percent of the town.
3. Restoring our sense of community. Over the last couple of years the Town Council has acted in ways that has polarized our community. Important issues have come up (such as eliminating dispatch services, spending millions on Hunter Road fields and the proposed Seacoast Soccer land deal), and often it has been the council’s handling of the process which has been so divisive. I think we need to change this, and to restore a sense of trust and respect throughout our town government.
Q: What do you think the solutions are?
A: As a town councilor, I will work to make sure the town programs are more open and transparent so that all taxpayers are actively engaged before the town commits taxpayer funds to a project. For instance, on the newly proposed Department of Transportation $1 million interchange for the Desert Road exit, it is disconcerting that it is only because of a newspaper story that we learned that Freeport town officials have been meeting in private on the project since March. Also, it seems some type of agreement has been reached for Freeport taxpayers to pay $250,000 of the cost. This gives a sense of a “behind closed door” approach to deal making. When elected, I will work so that town processes are made as fully transparent as possible. I will also actively seek input from my constituents, not just by email but also going out into the community to seek input from all District 4 residents.
Fiscal responsibility requires attention to details. I will work to make sure a thorough review is completed of all proposed projects, before taxpayers’ monies are spent. We have recently seen two major development projects passed by the Town Council (the Hunter Road fields and the train station). Neither of these projects had adequate planning and review, and both are costing a lot more than we were told at the onset. When project proposals come before the Town Council, I will ensure that we do everything possible to predict all of the costs of a particular project, so that cost overruns can be minimized, and so that we can clearly assess whether we can afford a particular project.
Given the Town Council’s recent spending on “big ticket” items, we need to focus on fiscal responsibility so we can keep taxes affordable while paying for ongoing needs, such as needed infrastructure improvements to the schools. Once elected, I will work hard to keep the budget fitted to the needs of the community. I believe there are areas in which we can find potential savings on the municipal side of the budget, and this will be one of my top priorities as a town councilor.
A balanced approach to economic development protects the interests of 100 percent of the town. I believe that broad zoning designations need to be respected and a very measured approach to re-zonings should be followed. For that reason, when elected, I will vote to maintain the integrity of the current rural residential zoning. And, when appropriate projects are put forth, I will work hard with the proposed developers to find commercially zoned sites for their development.
Q: How do you think the coming of the Downeaster will impact Freeport?
A: I like trains and have always been a big supporter of mass transit. However, it is too soon to tell how successful this new line will be. Given that there is another Amtrak station close by in Brunswick, it seems our train station will most greatly benefit tourists and the town’s downtown businesses. Will that benefit help our tax base, and therefore offset all the costs Freeport’s taxpayers are absorbing? It is too soon to tell. Right now I am mostly concerned that the direct and indirect costs of the project seem to be growing. We still need to deal with issues that apparently were not planned for (i.e.; long-term parking needs, quiet zones).
Election 2012
James ?Cassida
Andy ?Wellen
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