Penny Jordan and Caitlin Jordan were re-elected Tuesday to the Cape Elizabeth Town Council in a three-way race.
Penny Jordan
Penny Jordan was the top vote-getter with 3,836 votes, followed by Caitlin Jordan with 3,250 and David Hughes with 2,385, according to unofficial results from the Town Clerk’s office. About 71% of the town’s registered voters cast ballots.
Penny Jordan, a fourth-generation farmer who operates Jordan’s Farm with her siblings, said Wednesday she is looking forward to the next three years and her third term on the council.
“I, as always, feel honored to serve Cape Elizabeth,” she said.
Caitlin Jordan, a lawyer who also manages her family’s Alewives Brook Farm business, will be serving her fifth term.
“Fifth time,” Caitlin Jordan said Wednesday. “I’m the longest running councilor. Pretty cool!”
Caitlin Jordan
The winners agree that a lack of affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges facing Cape Elizabeth. Caitlin Jordan said the council is already taking steps towards finding a solution to the housing issue, including by implementing the state’s new LD 2003 law, which is designed to encourage the creation of affordable housing through zoning and land use regulations.
“The reality with Cape Elizabeth is that there are just not that many places left to develop,” she said.
Penny Jordan said Cape Elizabeth needs to create options for people to downsize, as well as for young families and young people to be able to move to the town.
“Housing is definitely an issue, but we also have to address the school infrastructure and how to make that affordable for Cape Elizabeth families,” Penny Jordan said.
A $115.9 million bond referendum to build new elementary and middle schools and renovate the high school failed Tuesday 3,817 to 2,337.
“We definitely need to do something about the schools,” Caitlin Jordan said. “They’re going to have to come up with a new plan and size it down, I would imagine, in order for it to pass through what the town’s willing to accept.”
Penny Jordan said she is not opposed to new schools, but the price tag of building them.
“I think we have to go back to the drawing board and see what the taxpayers of Cape Elizabeth can afford, and I think we work together to solve that problem,” she said.
School Board
Saucier
Sweet
Newcomer Caitlin Sweet and incumbent Philip Saucier were elected Tuesday to the Cape School Board in a four-way race for two At-Large seats.
The vote was 2,399 for Sweet, and 2,371 for Saucier. Candidates Adrienne Hurder received 2,164, and Lawrence Kaplan received 1,917.
School Board member Kimberly Carr did not seek reelection.
Sweet, a communications specialist, and Saucier, a lawyer, both backed the school bond referendum.
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