LIVERMORE — Voters will be asked at Livermore’s annual Town Meeting Tuesday, April 26, to choose between two candidates for a three-year seat on the Select Board.
Incumbent Selectperson Mark Chretien is being challenged by Joshua Perkins for a three-year seat.
Chretien and Joshua Perkins were asked questions regarding their candidacies by the Livermore Falls Advertiser. The questions and their answers are below.
Why are you seeking the position?
“I have served as a Selectperson since elected in 2013,” Chretien said.
“I just want to be involved in my community,” Perkins said. “Our family moved here three years ago and fell in love with the people, community and landscape. Let’s face it, Livermore is beautiful, the lakes and pond, Spruce mountain, all the farms, the history. I’d like to help to continue to preserve our town’s small town feel.”
What do you consider the most important issue(s) facing the town of Livermore?
“There are a couple, the first is taxes,” Chretien said. “With inflation the cost of everything is increasing — some stuff up to 50%. The other thing is roads. We have been doing a good job; have about 12 miles of good roads out of 41 miles.”
“The same thing that plagues a lot of small towns in Maine, money,” Perkins said. “We have around 2,000 residents in our town but a lot of area to take care of. We are lucky to have the route 4/108 business corridor. I think if we focus on investing in some outside resources to build up the business on our state maintained roads to increase our tax base without the burden being felt by individual residents. I have a large family [eight] and not one of us works in Livermore. I think that’s a shame.”
Please explain any leadership roles you have held.
Chretien said he serves on the Livermore Select Board and the town’s road committee.
Perkins holds a seat on the town planning board. “We have had a busy year going through some of the towns ordinances,” he said. “We have been trying to update them and clear up contradictions. I’m a Technical support leader at Tambrands in charge of building capability on my team.”
Please explain any goals or plans you feel the town of Livermore should consider.
“Having reserve accounts for future purchases would be less of a tax burden on our community,” Chretien noted.
“Invest in our town’s economic development committee and get some help building our tax base and branding our town,” Perkins said. “I’d also like to get some Spruce kids involved in some of our committee work. I’d like to bring 4-H to Livermore.”
Please share a bit of your personal story
Chretien moved to Livermore in 2005. “I built a home on Berry Hill, raised my daughter Elizabeth,” he said. “I have owned and operated Chretien’s Construction — a residential, commercial and remodeling construction firm — since 1993.”
Perkins grew up in Auburn, his wife Tasha in Leeds. “We moved to the community [Livermore Falls] about six years ago from Auburn so that I could work at the Androscoggin Mill,” he noted. “Reduced demand for paper and layoffs forced me go back to work in Auburn at Tambrands. We bought our house in Livermore about three years ago. We have six kids, four at the high school. I enjoy gardening, food preservation, history and watching Spruce play football.”
Jeremy Emerson is unopposed for a two-year seat on the Select Board. Tracey Martin currently holds the position.
Town Clerk Renda Guild is unopposed for that position.
Two seats on the Regional School Unit 73 Board of Directors are also to be decided. Tasha Perkins is seeking the seat currently held by Steven Langlin.
Nomination papers weren’t returned for the other seat. Incumbent John Johnson and Holly Morris are write-in candidates and the position would only be for one year at a time.
The annual Town Meeting will be held by referendum vote Tuesday, April 26, at Spruce Mountain Primary School on Gibbs Mill Road. Polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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