Three seeking D-F select seats speak at candidates forum

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Residents had the opportunity to hear directly from the municipal candidates in Dover-Foxcroft about three weeks prior to the June 8 election during a Candidate Night sponsored by the Piscataquis Chapter of the League of Women Voters at the Center Theatre on May 17.

On June 8 Dover-Foxcroft residents will vote on two, three-year seats on the seven-member selectboard and current Vice Chairperson Cynthia Freeman Cyr, Barry G. Hutchins and Michael S. Sutton each sat on the theater stage to share their platforms and answer audience questions.

“It has been my honor to serve as a member of the selectboard for the last 15 years,” Freeman Cyr said to start the opening statements. “We have had a strong and healthy board and it has been a pleasure and a challenge to serve in this capacity.”

She said she has lived town for more than 40 years, working for Womancare/Partners for Peace since 1997 and volunteering with the Center Theatre and Penquis boards, Rape Response Services and as a Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church deacon and with the local Democratic Party. 

Freeman Cyr said the day before at a Community Cleanup Day, “I thought about what makes small towns work. It is just this sort of collaborative effort from every age group and political base. We do share common values and pride in our corner of the world. We show up for each other, whether as street sweepers or volunteers at vaccine clinics and community suppers.”

She said this is why she is seeking another term. Freeman Cyr said the selectboard has accomplished a lot the last few years by working collaboratively with hospitals, schools, businesses and nonprofits and there is still much to do.

Freeman Cyr is interested in improvements to the downtown and creating green space and encouraging safe walking routes. “We have so much potential as a community to create a healthier, more vibrant town as we continue to work collaboratively,” she said.

Hutchins and his wife moved to town in late 2016 following his retirement from 20 years in law enforcement, which came after 13 years in the U.S. Air Force. He said during his career he worked on municipal, state and occasionally federal budgets including allocations, expenditures and writing and explaining the documents.

“I agree in Dover-Foxcroft we need to improve the downtown areas,” Hutchins said. “I think that we need controlled economic growth in Dover-Foxcroft, I think that we need businesses here but we need to keep it under control.”

“I want to be part of the board of selectmen not necessarily because I think that anyone’s doing anything wrong. I want to be a part of it because sometimes it’s just good to have a change,” he said.

Hutchins said he would like to make sure all municipal department expenditures are justified. “Is a particular line needed, if it’s not needed work on reducing the line and if it’s in need of increasing then increase the line,” he said.

“I make the decisions based on how I feel and if voted in I would take your opinions in making that opinion,” Hutchins said. “Sometimes change is good to have and that’s what I’m asking you to do, make a change.”

Sutton said people have told him that changes needed in Dover-Foxcroft include the tax situation, fixing roads and sidewalks, sprucing up downtown, increasing broadband access, transportation improvements, substance abuse treatments and public trash pickup.

“We’re a community and we have a lot of wants,” Sutton said. “The more I thought about it we’re all the same, we all share the same vision and as I thought about it ‘what’s that vision we all share?’ We want our town to be beautiful and we want it to be relevant and we want it to be responsible. If we’re going to do that we need leadership that’s going to be laser-locked on that vision. We need leadership that is fiscally responsible and unbiased and accountable in getting the things done that need to get done.” 

Sutton said he has the qualifications and experience to make this happen. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, Sutton served as a U.S. Army officer in Germany during the Gulf War where he learned to inspire others. He said as a financial adviser and bank vice president, “I learned to count pennies and encourage thrift but to seize opportunities.”

As the Piscataquis Regional YMCA board chairperson, Sutton said the organization was in serious trouble last year but is now out of the red and planning for long-term sustainability. “Even when the world thinks you’re down and out, great things can happen with a vision,” he said.

“I am running because I love this town. I am running because we can’t wait another day to fix what has to get fixed,” he said. “I am running because we need leaders that share our combined vision and we need leaders that are willing to do the hard work to get us there.”

The candidates were asked about their top priorities for budget transparency and small business development and support.

Hutchins said despite his 20 years of municipal budget experience, he still has difficulties understanding some aspects of the Dover-Foxcroft financial information. He said he would change the town report to include all department numbers together.

Hutchins mentioned his son owns a barbershop in town. “Anything that we can do in town from a government standpoint to not roadblock any small business, I would say that we need to do that,” he said.

Hutchins said his time on the planning board and ordinance committee has helped with business development and support, and the town should assist in the grant application process.

Sutton said if he does not understand something in the budget then he will ask or would ask on a resident’s behalf. “The numbers are there, we just need to ask the questions and I am not afraid to ask the questions,” he said.

He cited his  banking career supporting small business development, including working on loans during the pandemic. “We have to do what we can to keep these folks here,” Sutton said, encouraging shopping locally.

Freeman Cyr agreed on the importance of supporting local businesses and agreed with Hutchins that the budget documents can be confusing.

“If people come to the selectmen’s meetings or budget advisory committee meetings with questions, there’s always a good explanation but it’s how it’s expressed I think is the problem,” she said. “So we need to look for ways to develop summary budgets for people so they can see exactly what is going on.”

“Any time that folks come to the selectboard there always is an open session where people can bring questions,” Freeman Cyr said, saying they can also talk to board members or the town manager directly. “We are all about providing information and listening to people and people’s priorities that we may not have under consideration at the moment.”

Another question asked about top priorities for using American Plan Rescue Act funds.

Sutton said monies should be used for downtown improvements, such as to the roads and sidewalks. He said safety issues should be addressed first and then beautification.

“I think the first thing we would do is convene a couple of public forums where residents could come and tell us what priorities they have,” Freeman Cyr said. Once we know what the limits or the guardrails are on that money, we would be in a better position to make plans for it.”

She said a forum could be part of a select meeting, at its own session and/or input could be collected via written survey. 

Freeman Cyr also said funding should be used to prepare for climate change, such as planning for rising river levels.

“My two main priorities would be small business infrastructure and the infrastructure of the downtown,” he said.

Each candidate was asked about their ideas to bring in new industry to improve Dover-Foxcroft’s economy and quality of life.

Sutton said that improved access to broadband would be a huge selling point for the town. “Technology is a way to get people in and we need it,” he said.

Freeman Cyr said she appreciated Sutton’s comments and hopes broadband improvements funding will be part of forthcoming Congressional funding bills. 

“I think we worked most effectively to attract business when we worked as a county,” she said, mentioning the efforts of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council.

Freeman Cyr said it is important to help students envision potential careers, including those already available as she said some of the larger employers in the region are having difficulty filling positions with these ranging from entry levels to those requiring advanced degrees.

She mentioned more childcare availability would help as many positions could be filled by parents if their children had places to go.

“I would strongly push for a tech-type college to come into Dover-Foxcroft. We have the facilities to do it,” Hutchins said.

“I think if we can bring businesses in with controlled growth that’s a good way to get people here,” he said, saying he is not opposed to tax incentives to bring in businesses.

“I have the energy to continue to serve and I appreciate Barry bringing up the need for new voices and that’s important too,” Freeman Cyr said in her closing remarks. “I continue to be really dedicated and committed to the well-being of this community in a variety of ways. I feel that I bring a lot to this work and I bring a lot to our community every day and I would love to continue in this role.”

“Again I’m definitely not going to come in and tell you I am going to fix things that are wrong, I’m definitely not going to tell you that the current board is messing up because I don’t believe that,” Hutchins said, saying he has been outspoken and supportive when speaking at selectboard meetings. “What I can promise you [is] if you come to me with an issue I will look at the issue from beginning to end and if it’s an issue I believe needs to be looked at deeply I will look into it, if it doesn’t I will tell you I don’t think there is merit and I will tell you why.” 

Hutchins said this is the basic principle of what a selectperson should do, “Listen to what’s in front of them and represent who’s bringing it to you and I guarantee that’s all I can do.”

“I love this town so much and I really believe that it’s beautiful right now, but we can always make it better and I really see a future,” Sutton said. “I want a town that’s beautiful, relevant and responsible and that takes a lot of forms and I choose those words carefully because I can back them up.”

“I will give this job my all, I think we need some folks on there that are accountable to everybody and my qualifications and experience are an asset and I think my passion’s probably even more so,” he said.

The full forum is available on the Center Theatre YouTube channel.