ELLSWORTH — The leaves are falling, campaign signs are multiplying and sample ballots have appeared on the city website. Election Day, Nov. 8, will be here before we know it.
In addition to casting ballots for representation in Augusta, county offices and Washington, D.C., Ellsworth voters will pick three of seven candidates in the running for City Council. The contenders are Michelle Beal, John Linnehan, incumbent Robert Miller, Tammy Mote, Kristen Schlaefer, Jon Stein and Gordon Workman.
With a bevy of choices this election season, The Ellsworth American asked each aspiring councilor why he or she is running and what are the biggest challenges facing the city. This is what they said.
Michelle Beal
How long have you lived in Ellsworth? I have lived in the city of Ellsworth permanently since 1986 but I was born at Maine Coast Hospital and am a graduate of Ellsworth High School.
What positions have you held in city government and for how long? I worked in government for 20 years. I started as an accounting clerk, moved to treasurer, then finance director and finally city manager. I was interim city manager twice while finance director.
Why did you decide to run? I know this may seem cliché, but I decided to run because I want to help. There is a lot of good that is happening in Ellsworth, but I think there can be much more. My 20 years in local government brings experience, understanding and relationships with other municipalities, departments within state government as well as the federal government.
What is your occupation? I am the firm administrator/COO of Rudman Winchell, a law firm in Bangor.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the city? There are several challenges the city faces, but I feel the challenge that needs to be addressed immediately is business development. While there is some development happening, there are still many empty lots in the business district. Ellsworth’s business history has been mainly retail and professional services. Ellsworth needs to rethink and revise its development plan to adapt to how people live and shop today. Business breeds business and commercial development is one of the best ways to reduce the tax burden on residents. Yes, the budget needs to be watched carefully, but there are also consequences to continuously cutting the budget and public services, especially when the cuts are arbitrary. There needs to be a balance.
What’s the best way for the public to contact you? The best way to reach me is by my email which is [email protected].
John Linnehan
How long have you lived in Ellsworth? I’m 74 years old, was born in Ellsworth, and I am a lifelong resident. I lived in both Ellsworth and the greater Orono area for the four years when I attended the University of Maine from 1966 to 1970.
What positions have you held in city government and for how long? I have never held an office in city government, I am not a politician and I never want to become one. Like Councilor Steve O’Halloran is doing, I want to bring a successful business approach to manage our city, especially its budget expenses financially, which in my opinion are way too high. Our City Council is currently operating with a lack of establishing much needed spending priorities and then exercising related spending discipline.
Why did you decide to run? I believe our nation, our state and our city are on the verge of collapse financially and morally. America is the longest running republic in history. We need to get back to those principles our Founding Fathers gave us. These three areas of government, especially including our city, needs to learn important lessons from our past history. We must get back to making choices guided by Christian and constitutional principles, rights and freedoms if we are going to get Ellsworth back on the right track. Ellsworth was an awesome city when I was a teenager and a young family man growing up here. My leadership, especially financially, can make it that way once again!
What is your occupation? I am a self-employed businessman/investor/entrepreneur/philanthropist, who donates my time, talent and treasure to make America, make Maine and make Ellsworth great again. I volunteer my services to help and benefit as many individuals and nonprofits as possible. My current mission this year is to convert our former Maine Coast Mall movie theatres into a modern educational center called Constitution Hall. We regularly host nationally known and local speakers, documentaries and mostly free of charge movies that are both entertaining and educational. Our goal is to educate people about the Christian/constitutional history and heritage we have as Americans and Ellsworth citizens.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the city? Ignorance of our city’s history by a large group of Ellsworth’s current citizens. They either don’t know about or have forgotten about the wonderful financial and constitutional qualifications of a well-respected, past group of city councilors that blessed our city with quality leadership for many years. Men like Stephen Shea, Mark Rosborough, Jim Pendergist, Roger Willey and my own father, John Linnehan Sr. These men were councilors who understood finances and money management. They controlled Ellsworth’s expenses, prioritized what were “needs” and what were “greeds” and only budgeted to take care of our city’s “needs”! They kept our property taxes low so we the people could afford to comfortably live in Ellsworth. By the grace of God, I will be that same type of councilor!
What’s the best way for the public to contact you? My mobile phone number is (207) 460-4400. Either a text or personal phone call is my favorite way of communicating. My email is [email protected].
Robert Miller
How long have you lived in Ellsworth? 19 years
What positions have you held in city government and for how long? City councilor for three years. Recreation Committee for six years.
Why did you decide to run? I have always tried to serve my community and my country. I have been a firefighter, been in the military, am on a national disaster team, and I volunteer at school and other events. I was on the Recreation Commission for six years and for the last three years, I have been a city councilor. I have served my community and my country my whole life. Continuing to serve as a city councilor is the best way for me to continue helping improve this great community and to make it an even better place to live.
What is your occupation? Pharmacist at MDI Hospital and intermittent government employee for ASPR/NDMS under HHS.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the city? We have a very large infrastructure problem that I am working hard to correct. There are other big issues I have also been working on. Affordable housing is another very big problem. I would also like the city to have its own ambulance. We are currently being held hostage by Northern Light Ambulance. I have worked with other councilors to lower the mill rate every year I have served on the council. There is a lot of discord on the Council. I always try to respect the office and maintain decorum in Council Chambers. It is OK to disagree with each other, but personal attacks and petty insults have no place at City Council meetings.
What’s the best way for the public to contact you? [email protected].
Tammy Mote
How long have you lived in Ellsworth? I have lived in Ellsworth my entire life, the only exception being three years living abroad in Germany.
What positions have you held in city government and for how long? I worked at the city of Ellsworth for 20 years and held the tax collector position for eight years, finance director for eight years and deputy city manager for four years.
Why did you decide to run? I love this community and after working for the city for 20 years, I realized how much I missed being part of the community and working to better it. I am familiar with the processes and procedures of local government and understand the financial, economic, and infrastructure challenges that this community faces. I believe I could apply my knowledge and experience to serve as an Ellsworth Council member.
What is your occupation? I am the comptroller for Rudman Winchell Law Firm.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the city? I believe one of the biggest challenges for the city of Ellsworth include the many capital improvement needs such as local roads, water and sewer upgrades and equipment and not having enough funds to cover these large capital expenditures. In order for the city to grow, these capital improvements are necessary but finding the funding is always a challenge. The annual budget continues to be challenging. Each year presents new obstacles and the Council must balance the needs of the city while attempting to keep the mill rate low.
What’s the best way for the public to contact you? I can be reached at [email protected].
Kristen Schlaefer
How long have you lived in Ellsworth? I have lived in Ellsworth my entire adult life, 16 years.
What positions have you held in city government and for how long? I have not held any positions with the city, which I think makes me a great choice for the Council. I believe a fresh perspective would be a welcomed addition.
Why did you decide to run? I decided to run because I believe my expertise and knowledge would be very valuable to the Council and our city. I have an objective outlook in general and will gladly listen to any citizen who would like to approach me civilly. I truly care about moving forward the city I chose to live, work, and raise my child in.
What is your occupation? I am a financial analyst.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the city? The lack of planning, forecasting and/or council collaboration with department heads to find effective ways to lessen or cut spending is a major challenge. I have seen the Council scrutinize or reject impeccable ideas of city employees because they simply didn’t understand what they were looking at. I believe this really impedes progress and brings down the morale of the leaders in our city. To an extent we have to trust leadership to do the right thing for our city and provide them ample Council support. The Council serves as oversight. That doesn’t have to include micromanagement. We need to work with them, not against them, particularly when seeking grant funding. All specific challenges the city faces stem from this major challenge. I believe electing a councilor with experience in large-scale budgets, many times larger than that of the city, can only be beneficial to the city.
What’s the best way for the public to contact you? My email is [email protected]. My phone number is (207) 664-4619. My Facebook page is Kristen Schlaefer for Ellsworth City Council or www.facebook.com/kforellsworth.
Jon Stein
How long have you lived in Ellsworth? I’ve lived in Ellsworth for almost a decade and have lived downtown for six years. I love being within walking distance of almost everything I need for my business and my life, including great restaurants and shops, and the beautiful trails where I walk my dog.
What positions have you held in city government and for how long? Though I’ve never held a position with the city, I have worked closely with our fire and code enforcement, economic development and other city departments as I’ve grown my business. Starting Ellsworth’s first production brewery required compromise and communication with the city to explore creative approaches to zoning and permitting. Over the years, I’ve worked with the city to codify noise ordinances, improve street parking plans and add signage in an effort to improve the neighborhood surrounding my business.
Why did you decide to run? Ellsworth has long been a “hub city” for surrounding areas, offering services, amenities and community spaces. We’re now at an exciting pivotal point with a huge potential for growth — with tourism, traffic and the need for housing all increasing. I would love the opportunity to serve on the Council to help plan intentionally during this time of growth. I want to help revitalize our city in a thoughtful and responsible way. I believe I can find common ground between Ellsworth’s citizens, our city staff and the council in order to finalize our long-overdue Comprehensive Plan in order to move our city responsibly into the future.
What is your occupation? I own and operate Fogtown Brewing Company in downtown Ellsworth. Since opening, we’ve served as a community hub, hosting events and collaborating with other small businesses, conservation groups and nonprofit orgs. These collaborations have given me a lot of insight into the exciting programs and projects that are taking place in Ellsworth, as well the relationships between these groups and our city. As a board member of Heart of Ellsworth, it was often my job to communicate with City Council about our organization’s projects, partnerships and survey findings. I also volunteer with Maine Community Foundation as a Hancock County advisor and occasionally teach for Ellsworth Adult Ed and College of the Atlantic.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the city? The question “How can we improve Ellsworth?” has been posed a number of times in city surveys and studies. As vice president of Heart of Ellsworth, I also helped create citizen surveys, and the responses have all been consistent and clear: Our citizens overwhelmingly prioritize affordable housing, walkability, road improvement, traffic mitigation and the development of green spaces, especially surrounding our waterfront.
The biggest barrier we face is a Council that does not address these priorities, that does not take advantage of state and federal grant opportunities that would help fund the development we want and need, that does not approve reasonable requests made by our school board, library and competent city employees. I’m running to ensure that our council reflects and honors the values and priorities of our citizens, to develop a Comprehensive Plan and to approve those reasonable agenda items that will keep our city moving forward.
What’s the best way for the public to contact you? I would love to hear about the issues that are most important to the people of Ellsworth. You can email me at [email protected] with thoughts and concerns.
Gordon Workman
Workman did not fill out The Ellsworth American questionnaire and instead pointed to a Letter to the Editor on his behalf from Janice Pinkham Eldridge, former Hancock County Republican chairperson.
The letter states that Workman is a lifelong resident of the city who went through the Ellsworth school system with his siblings. His two daughters graduated from Ellsworth High. Eldridge said Workman is concerned about local regulations and the city charter, specifically in that “it eliminates the Ellsworth Council members from having a voice in certain areas, including the Ellsworth school system.”
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