Mary Page is running for one of two seats on the Cape Elizabeth Town Council.
She described herself as an entrepreneur. She has lived in town for nine years and has been the owner of Two Lights General Store for three. She is married with two young children in Cape Elizabeth’s school system.
Page has never run for public office before and has not been involved in community groups, but as owner of Two Lights General Store she said she listens to people in town complaining about one thing or another every day, from town documents being too complicated to understand to local ordinances not making sense.
During a year-and-a-half long struggle she ultimately lost to amend a wetland ordinance that affected her business she said she realized how much power members of the Town Council have over the everyday lives of residents. She said she wouldn’t abuse that power but would be fair and use common sense.
“People want a voice and someone who looks at things from a different perspective,” she said.
Page supports charging fees at Fort Williams Park, but only to buses and trolleys that are “making money off a free thing they get from us.” She doesn’t support fees for cars, cyclists or pedestrians.
Page said affordable housing in Cape Elizabeth is a “definite must” and can be done. She said the provisions in the town’s subdivision ordinances already require a certain amount of middle- to low-income housing be built, but more could be done. There should be at least 20 percent affordable housing in town, she said. “There’s not enough right now.”
“Why can’t our teachers afford to live in town?” she asked. She said all members of the community should be able to live in town. “We should be, we’re a community.”
“I sure would like my kids to be able to live in town,” she said.
Page said it’s not her place to make a pledge to cap spending like the current members of the Town Council did in 2003, but there’s “absolutely no reason to raise taxes.”
“We have to work with what we got,” Page said. The school and community service budgets are high, “but considering the rest of the state and comparing to other towns we’re pretty good.”
“This place runs pretty smooth,” she said. “It’s safe, it’s clean, it’s nice.”
Page said the police and public safety volunteers are “very underappreciated” in the town and getting the police a contract should be a priority. But, she pointed out that it should be the responsibility of Town Manager Michael McGovern to negotiate contracts.
Page said she isn’t running on any one issue: “The town as a whole is an issue.”
Mary Page, candidate for Cape Elizabeth School Board
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