In a little more than two weeks, Westbrook citizens will get the opportunity that arrives in every odd year – to choose whether or not to keep just about every elected official in the city.
The American Journal recently finished interviewing all of the candidates with opponents. In this edition, readers will find profiles of them, their answers to written questions, letters of support, and, as has been our tradition, the endorsements of this newspaper.
It’s important to remember all of these candidates are good people who care enough about their community to get involved. We’re confident Westbrook will be well served, regardless of who is elected in November.
In Ward 1, our endorsement goes to Brendan Rielly. While we haven’t always agreed with his votes or some of the programs he has proposed, Rielly genuinely cares about this city and about doing what is right.
Rielly’s well educated. He has a law degree from the University of Notre Dame. He is an articulate, thoughtful representative of his constituents who isn’t afraid to propose new programs or vote in the minority. He can serve this community well as one of its leaders.
In Ward 4, our endorsement goes to Darryl Wright, who lost a close election two years ago in the same ward. Since then, Wright has remained involved in the community. The president of the Westbrook Community Chamber, Wright has strong ties to the business community in Westbrook.
Although he hasn’t been in office, Wright spoke knowledgably about many of the challenges facing the city. Wright’s experience as a banker – at Maine Bank & Trust and formerly at TD Banknorth – and connections to the business community will serve him well as a city councilor.
In Ward 5, our endorsement goes to Suzanne Joyce, because she has worked hard to make sure she makes the right decisions. Joyce went around to homes in the neighborhood where a Wal-Mart had been proposed before she voted in favor of a zone change that opened the door to the retail giant. She also began meeting with police in an attempt to resolve their stalled contract negotiations with the city, until the city’s legal counsel advised her to discontinue her involvement.
Although Joyce has been effective behind the scenes, she hasn’t always been a vocal advocate for her constituents in public. If she were re-elected, we would like to see her speak out more about things that are important to her. Joyce has strong convictions, but those will go only so far without a voice.
Our first endorsement in the at-large races goes to someone who has never had any trouble finding his voice, John O’Hara. A maverick, O’Hara will vote against the entire council and city administration if he disagrees with them. He does his homework and works hard to represent his constituents.
Our second endorsement in the at-large races goes to Alex Stone, because he has attended the council meetings for two budget cycles, even though he hasn’t been on the City Council. Stone was one of the only candidates to offer concrete ideas about how the city could save tax money. He suggested the city could use a private contractor for some of the landscaping work it does and for security at football games, rather than relying on city employees.
Our endorsement for mayor was the most difficult decision of all the races. Bruce Chuluda has been a humble and approachable mayor. He has opened lines of communication between his office and the public, holding open office hours and hosting a cable access show. He has sought to run the city as a business, consolidating departments to deliver services more efficiently. All of these have been welcome changes.
However, running a business is about more than just watching expenses. A successful business looks at ways to bring in more revenue. For the city, that means economic development. In the last two years, the mayor’s two economic development committees have collapsed into one. The city still has no clear direction on Saccarappa Park – while the city’s economic development director recently said he expected to seek more development proposals soon, the mayor recently said it might be best to leave it as a park for now.
In our interview, Chuluda expressed little optimism about Westbrook’s chances of attracting development. He offered as a disadvantage the city’s location – something the former administration believed was an advantage. Westbrook isn’t Portland, and most residents here like it that way. That doesn’t mean Westbrook can’t sometimes win in a fight for a major employer and big taxpayer.
But, if the city is ever to win that fight, it needs a leader who believes it can. That’s why our endorsement goes to Jim Violette, who has made a more aggressive approach to economic development a central part of his campaign platform. If he gets an opportunity to carry that platform out, we hope he will take a cue from the current mayor – listen. Then lead.
Regardless of whether or not readers agree with our endorsements, we urge everyone to get out and vote on Nov. 8.
Brendan Moran, editor
Send questions/comments to the editors.
