Meet the 8 candidates working for a spot on Bangor Metropolis Council
The eight candidates vying for 3 seats on the Bangor Metropolis Council in subsequent month’s election have the prevalence of homelessness, substance use, and the necessity for extra housing and financial developments on the forefront of their campaigns.
The candidates’ campaigns echo these of council candidates from current elections, revealing long-term challenges Bangor has confronted over the previous a number of years. However whereas the candidates have related focuses, some have very totally different concepts for a way they’d deal with the problems if elected.
The eight candidates need to take three of the 9 seats on the Bangor Metropolis Council at present held by councilors Clare Davitt, Jonathan Sprague and Joseph Leonard, who’s working for reelection.
In-person voting shall be held on the Cross Insurance coverage Middle in Bangor from 7 a.m. to eight p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Absentee voters can request a poll till Thursday, Nov. 2.
Council candidates are listed beneath within the order they seem on the poll.
Philip Henry
Initially from New Brunswick, Philip Henry moved to Bangor for work in 2006 and have become an American citizen earlier this yr. He stated he selected Bangor as a result of the properties had been reasonably priced, the varsity programs had been robust and town was a protected place to boost his household.
After having a profession in account administration and gross sales in engineering for 15 years, he give up his job in 2017 to run his personal actual property firm that owns and manages business and residential items and rehabilitates older properties in Bangor.
Henry stated he determined to run for metropolis council with the objective of lowering the variety of people who find themselves homeless and hooked on substances. Doing this, he stated, will make Bangor as protected because it was when he first moved right here.
“That’s a problem throughout North America, however we’re on the coronary heart of that subject primarily based on the variety of homeless and drug addicted folks which might be coming to this area for assist,” Henry stated.
If elected, Henry stated he’d pursue initiatives aimed toward lowering homelessness and substance use which have information that show they’re efficient. That can take coordination between first responders and town supervisor who can assist measure whether or not a plan is efficient.
Apart from homelessness and substance use, Henry stated he’d wish to assist financial improvement in Bangor by attracting and supporting housing builders and small companies.
Henry additionally sees an instantaneous want for housing geared towards first-time homebuyers in Bangor, and advised tax incentives for builders might assist convey extra housing to town.
“Based mostly on my background in engineering and actual property, I perceive the bipartisan challenges that we’re dealing with,” he stated. “I don’t care about political events, I’m trying to repair points to offer a greater Bangor for my youngsters and the brand new households shifting right here.”
Harold “Hal” Wheeler
After shifting to Bangor in 1946, Harold “Hal” Wheeler held jobs in broadcasting, promoting and schooling, and served as an Anglican priest.
Wheeler served two phrases on the Bangor Metropolis Council from 1983 to 1986 and once more from 2007 to 2010. He determined to run for a 3rd time after watching the present council fail to handle growing homelessness, drug use and crime charges, which he sees as Bangor’s largest challenges.
To enhance homelessness, Wheeler stated he needs to provide police the flexibility to arrest individuals who commit crimes, as he feels metropolis authorities is limiting police from doing so now. This might additionally result in a lower in crime in Bangor, he stated.
“There must be criminalization of break-ins, panhandling and a prohibition on tenting on public lands,” Wheeler stated. “We have to take {the handcuffs} off our nice police division to allow them to implement the legal guidelines.”
To decrease the prevalence of substance use, Wheeler stated he needs to cease native nonprofits from distributing hurt discount supplies resembling sterile needles, as that “permits drug customers.” This doesn’t embrace Narcan, he stated, as that helps stop deadly overdoses.
“I do know that sounds harsh, however should you encourage it, it’s not going to cease it,” he stated. “Individuals make decisions and decisions have penalties.”
Wheeler additionally sees a necessity for extra housing for low revenue and older adults who dwell on social safety, and for brand new financial improvement insurance policies that will tamper rules and restrictions for enterprise homeowners. This may enhance town’s tax base and convey new employment alternatives and residents to Bangor.
Carolyn Fish
Carolyn Fish moved to Bangor together with her household when she was 13. She has been working within the native actual property business since getting her actual property license when she was 28.
To deal with homelessness and substance use in Bangor, Fish stated she’s interested by taking a look at what different communities have carried out to enhance their communities as a result of “what we’ve been doing doesn’t appear to work.”
If elected, Fish stated she’d be interested by making a activity power with council members, metropolis leaders, first responders and outreach employees that recognized the place people who find themselves homeless in Bangor are coming from. This might result in a program, she stated, that unites unhoused folks with their communities and assist programs.
Fish additionally sees a must bolster financial improvement and convey extra reasonably priced housing to Bangor whereas serving to these with psychological well being and substance use problems. However, Fish stated she wouldn’t be in favor of bringing extra methadone clinics to Bangor.
“I believe those who fall out of these packages find yourself on our streets and that draws drug sellers,” Fish stated. “Twenty years in the past we didn’t have gangs, however now we’ve got gangs and cartels.”
Fish stated reigniting the Drug Abuse Resistance Schooling (DARE) Program in faculties may assist staunch substance use in youthful generations.
“I believe Bangor has an enormous coronary heart, however we will’t hold bringing folks in and giving them companies whereas abandoning a future for our kids, the aged and veterans that want companies,” Fish stated.
Apart from housing and substance use initiatives, Fish stated she’d be interested by seeing if town can impose small charges on native nonprofits for town companies they use to assist lower the tax burden on Bangor residents.
“I’ve 4 grandchildren within the space and I would like Bangor to offer them with the identical alternatives I had,” Fish stated. “I’ve at all times beloved Bangor and there are nonetheless a variety of nice issues about it, but when we don’t get a deal with on issues, I’m apprehensive about the way forward for Bangor.”
Joseph Leonard
Joseph Leonard, the one Bangor metropolis councilor who’s working for reelection, was unable to reply questions resulting from a household emergency.
He grew to become a United States Military officer in 2012 and served within the Arizona Nationwide Guard from 2013 to 2014, then moved to the Maine Nationwide Guard from 2014 to 2019, based on his biography on town web site.
He’s the supervisor of Evenrood’s Restaurant in downtown Bangor and is a member of the Maine Rail Group combating to broaden passenger rail service in Maine.
Leonard sits on town council’s Authorities Operations Committee, Finance Committee, Infrastructure Committee and Airport Committee and has centered on advocating for social and financial justice causes in Maine.
Morgan Urquhart
Morgan Urquhart grew up in Washington County and settled in Bangor about 20 years in the past after graduating from the College of Maine. She now works as a coverage and communications guide.
Urquart determined to run for Bangor Metropolis Council for the primary time after the council determined to not approve the Bangor firefighters union’s request for pandemic aid funding — a transfer she disagreed with.
“That was the straw that broke the camel’s again, however there are a variety of issues I believe town must be doing higher,” she stated.
If elected, Urquart stated her focuses would come with increasing reasonably priced housing, providing evidence-based hurt discount provides to these battling substance use, and making certain public workers are paid a good wage.
“We’ve seen a staggering lack of life resulting from overdose in the previous few years and it calls for pressing motion,” she stated. “I consider in evidence-based hurt discount as a result of it permits folks to steer more healthy, safer lives on their very own phrases. It’s about prioritizing human life over political optics.”
If elected, Urquart would encourage town to look to different cities which have efficiently elevated housing and decreased homelessness to see what, if any, concepts Bangor can attempt. For instance, Bangor may provide incentives for builders to construct new reasonably priced housing, which may additionally cut back taxes for present residents.
Kimberly Boucher
Kimberly Boucher settled in Bangor in the summertime of 2018 after dwelling in Massachusetts, the place she grew up. She now works as a well being care fundraiser for the state’s Northern Mild hospitals and has served on Bangor’s Parks, Recreation and Harbor Committee for 4 years.
After working for Bangor Metropolis Council unsuccessfully in 2020, Boucher determined to run once more as a result of she needs to make sure town is offering companies for residents, particularly town’s most weak populations.
If elected, Boucher stated she’d prioritize bringing extra housing of all types, particularly reasonably priced and workforce housing, to town, as an absence of housing is linked to most of the metropolis’s different challenges.
Boucher would even be interested by bringing everlasting supportive housing to Bangor, as it will give people who find themselves homeless a protected place to dwell and easy accessibility to sources for substance use and psychological well being therapy.
“If you happen to’re capable of present somebody with a spot of their very own that has a door with a lock the place they will safe their belongings after they go away, I really feel such as you give folks basis to get higher, particularly you probably have supportive sources at their doorstep,” Boucher stated.
Boucher stated she additionally needs to make sure native companies and residents really feel protected and supported whereas addressing the basis causes of homelessness. This might result in town creating ordinances that management the place folks can collect and sleep outdoors within the metropolis.
Lastly, Boucher wish to enhance the area’s bus system by increasing its schedule so it’s simpler for extra folks to make use of the bus to commute. Town may additionally provide residents bus vouchers to hopefully improve ridership and cut back the stigma related to public transportation.
“Bangor is an incredible, thriving place and we have to promote it as such,” Boucher stated. “We now have challenges as a result of it’s a terrific place to dwell and other people need to be right here.”
Susan Deane
Susan Deane moved to Bangor together with her household when she was in highschool. She now works because the follow supervisor for Northeast Oral Surgical procedure and has served on Bangor’s Board of Appeals for the previous two years, which she stated has “opened her eyes” to Bangor’s many challenges.
Deane named an growing variety of people who find themselves homeless as Bangor’s most urgent subject, and stated town has reached its restrict on how many individuals it might probably present companies to. If elected, she would search for methods to cease the inflow of individuals coming to Bangor for assist whereas addressing those that are already right here.
“That is troublesome as a result of they’re searching for refuge and we don’t need to flip them away,” Deane stated. “Nonetheless, when you possibly can’t assist the unsheltered people who find themselves right here, there must be some kind of restrict.”
Deane wish to couple these efforts with encouraging extra housing, particularly reasonably priced housing, to be added to Bangor’s housing inventory. This might come from the constructing of latest developments, or from vacant properties being renovated into viable housing.
Deane stated she would additionally prioritize protecting neighborhoods and parks protected and persevering with encouraging extra financial development, particularly downtown. Persevering with to maintain Bangor’s metropolis heart vibrant can also assist entice younger folks to remain and dwell in Bangor after finishing their schooling.
“Town council can’t create extra jobs for folks, but when we will make town extra enticing with extra facilities, our younger folks might need to keep nearer to residence relatively than transfer to huge cities like Portland,” Deane stated.
Michael Beck
Michael Beck moved to Bangor 9 years in the past together with his spouse to boost their household after getting a distant job with Apple, he stated.
The Michigan native determined to run for metropolis council for the primary time after watching the present council battle to dole out the greater than $20 million in pandemic aid funding it obtained from the federal authorities.
Beck named homelessness and the dearth of housing, particularly reasonably priced housing, as one in all Bangor’s most urgent points. This additionally makes it troublesome for brand new residents, particularly youthful folks, to maneuver to Bangor.
“Individuals do need to come right here, they simply can’t discover an reasonably priced place to dwell,” he stated. “Particularly as our group continues to age and retires, we want extra folks to interchange that workforce.”
If elected, Beck stated he wish to hold lease costs inside an affordable vary for these dwelling and dealing in Bangor and struggling to make ends meet.
“Most individuals are already struggling to pay their rents, and rents hold going up — that’s one thing my spouse and I’ve skilled,” he stated. “We perceive the battle that rents hold going up and wages aren’t protecting tempo.”
To deal with town’s different main subject of substance use, Beck stated he needs to assist the council apply for state and federal funding to convey extra restoration sources, resembling detox beds, to Bangor. Any new plans must stability the wants of the homeless group and people of native companies.
The council must also seek the advice of specialists and people with lived expertise when pursuing initiatives aimed toward decreasing charges of homelessness and substance use, he stated.
“Nobody on the council is an professional on all issues housing, nor ought to they be,” Beck stated. “I’m prepared to choose up the telephone and discover individuals who can assist get us the data we have to make selections, as a result of with out that experience, we’re simply guessing and that’s not going to assist anybody.”
