CAPE ELIZABETH — David Hughes and incumbents Penny Jordan and Caitlin Jordan are running for two seats on the Cape Elizabeth Town Council.
Hughes, 61, has been the superintendent of Scarborough Sanitary District for the past 11 years. He is married with two children. He lives in Cape Elizabeth. He has a BS in environmental science, 1983, and a BS in civil engineering, 1987. He is a licensee professional engineer in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. He has civil experience as the Cub Scout pack leader, Pack 30, in Cape Elizabeth for five years. He also has five years of experience on the Kaler-Vaill Board of Directors in Scarborough (a retirement home for women).
David Hughes
Hughes discussed the priorities of office. “Communities throughout Maine are struggling to deal with inflation, taxes, high home ownership costs, labor shortages, and overall increases in day-to-day expenses,” Hughes said. “Cape is no different. But these concerns aren’t unique to our town budgeting process. We all consider many of these issues as we manage our own personal finances. In that light, one of my key priorities will be to ensure that Cape’s tax dollars are spent in a responsible and transparent manner.
“If the $116 million school bond referendum passes, that cost will be absorbed almost exclusively by homeowners, a tax rate increase of 25-28 percent just to cover the bond. This leaves very little, if anything, for other town services. A balance needs to be reached to ensure affordable residential tax rates. Reducing the scope of the school project, growing Cape’s business climate, and managing growth per the 2019 comprehensive plan are all opportunities to approach this goal.”
Hughes on why he is the person for the job: “For the past 11 years, I have managed the operations of the Scarborough Sanitary District, including a 2.5-million-gallon-per-day treatment facility, 26 pump stations and all the ancillary equipment,” he said. “The district’s current 2022 budget is approximately $5.5 million with assets valued at over $400 million. I am responsible for staffing, budgeting, operation, rate setting, planning and fix asset replacement.
“As manager, I have direct day to day municipal experience. With supply change issues, dramatic increases in costs, delays, and overruns of our capital projects, we quickly had to pivot and conduct business in untraditional ways; pre-purchasing material, joining with other plants to increase our buying power, and utilizing service agreements just to name a few. These skills will go a long way in serving the community of Cape Elizabeth.”
Penelope (Penny) Jordan, 69, is the self-employed owner of Jordan’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth with her three siblings. She has a master’s degree in social work, in community organizing and program design. She currently serves on the Cape Elizabeth Town Council. She has a puppy named Ruthie.
Penny Jordan by Lauryn Hottinger
Jordan discussed the needs of the community, such as affordability and accessibility, and “balancing this with the need to address aging infrastructure, such as our schools,” she said. “We need to work to ensure people who have lived in Cape Elizabeth are not priced out of their homes. And, that Cape Elizabeth is accessible to young people, seniors, and families. I have been a proponent of diversifying housing options and will continue to champion this work. I will work to help address the need to update schools while working to ensure that the financial impact at the household level can be absorbed.”
Jordan also discussed the need for “balancing public access to beaches and ocean vistas with the capacity of neighborhoods to absorb traffic and parking. We have several areas in town where people can enjoy the shores of Cape Elizabeth. I don’t want to eliminate them; I think we need to understand the traffic impacts and develop strategies to mitigate them during peak usage months.”
Jordan on why she is the person for the job: “I believe I have demonstrated over the past six years that I am committed to the citizens of Cape Elizabeth. I am accessible, I listen and work to understand the perspectives on an issue, sort through them, and reach conclusions that I believe work for our town. I seek to understand the household impacts of large spending projects. I see it as my responsibility to understand the impacts of tax increases on the citizens of Cape Elizabeth and make decisions accordingly.
“I think it is apparent that I love the town that my family has called home for many generations. I love its heritage and what it is today, but we have challenges and I want to continue to work to help Cape Elizabeth evolve in a changing world without losing the essence of what draws people to live here. And I want Cape Elizabeth to demonstrate its willingness to help solve the housing challenges in Cumberland County.”
Caitlin Jordan did not respond to the Sentry’s requests for comment.
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