By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

HARRISON — Incumbents Philip Devlin and Frederick Ross will face challenges for their seats on the Harrison Select Board at next month’s municipal election.

Alfred Fitzmorris and Deborah Kane will challenge for one of two 3-year terms.

The municipal election, along with the SAD 17 vote and State Primary, takes place on Tuesday, June 8, with polls open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Harrison Town Office. Absentee ballots are now available, either stop by the town office or check the town’s website. The last day to cast absentee ballots will be June 6, 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the town office.

Voting for the Town Budget will be on Wednesday, June 12 at 6 p.m. at Harrison Elementary School.

Other candidates for office include:

Planning Board, 3-year term, vote for 2: James Dayton and Jennifer Vane.

Appeals Board, 5-year term, vote for 1: Stephen Bingham.

School Board, 3-year term, vote for 1: No candidate filed, so position will need to be filled via a
write-in candidate.

The Harrison Village Library is sponsoring a Meet the Candidates Night this coming Wednesday, May 29 at 6 p.m. at Harrison Elementary School.

The News reached out to the Select Board candidates, and asked the following questions (answers arranged alphabetically):

Select Board Candidates

Phil Devlin

Family information: Married, 3 daughters, 6 grandchildren

Work experience: Retired. 30 years computer technology (Financial Systems Manager).

Community/civic experience: Broadband Advisory Committee, 2020-present; Select Board member, 2021-present.

Hobbies and/or interests: Skiing, boating, reading, working around the yard.

Al Fitzmorris

Family information: Married, 3 children, 6 grandchildren

Work experience: Career business. 55 years in sales and service, garment and plastics industries. 

Community/civic experience: Chair, Harrison Business Association, 10 years Harrison Lions Club, Christmas in Harrison, 5 years Village Tie Up/Lions Club Golf Tournament.

 Hobbies and/or interests: Golf, skiing, new golf putter design, refurbishing golf clubs, preserving antique golf clubs.

Deb Kane

Family information: I have been married to my husband John for over 40 years. We have 2 children with families – 3 grandchildren. 

Work experience: Over 40 years as an IT professional – most recently working for MaineHealth as a manager on the IT Cyber Security team.

Community/civic experience: President of the Cape Monday Cove Road Association for 6 years, Treasurer for the United Parish Congregational Church, member of the Christmas in Harrison committee.

Hobbies and/or interests: Skiing, cribbage, Zumba, boating, live music.

Frederick Ross

Family information:Four children, six grandchildren, “very caring, blessed family.” Work experience: AP Store two years while in college; attended the University of Maine at Farmington (at that time Farmington State Teachers’ College) and transferred to Aroostook State Teachers’ College, earned degree in Health & Physical Education; Bridgton school district then SAD 61 for 28 years; coached girls’ basketball, skiing, football, gymnastics (25 years), track & field; worked 22 years QC Services in Harrison as facility’s manager. Community/civic experience: Fire Department (about 40 years); Men’s Club; member of Western Maine Fish & Game, vice president for eight years and taught Hunter Safety Class 20 years.

Hobbies and/or interests: Fishing, hunting, avid yard sale enthusiast.

CANDIDATE QUESTIONS

Q. Why did you decide to run for office?

Devlin: I am running again because, as I was the first time, I was asked to by a number of residents. I also see the need to complete the broadband project in 2024 at no cost to the town and elevate the annual capital budgeting process into a more complete, multi-year capital asset management plan. In addition, having gained some experience and insight into board procedures, I see opportunities to make improvements in the overall board governance process going forward.

Fitzmorris: It is incumbent on each member of the Select Board to provide good stewardship to the town of Harrison, its’ citizens and taxpayers. It is important for the board members to be good listeners and to question everything when tackling the issues that are important to its citizens. The Select Board is elected by the people of the town of Harrison to make decisions that serve the best interest of its citizens and the environment in which we live. 

Kane: I love this town and decided it was time to get more involved. Select Board is a way to work with our team at the town office, with the other elected officials, and with our citizens – this broad interaction and potential to make a difference is appealing to me.

Ross: I don’t think I’ve done what I wanted to get accomplished in my first term. I was new to the office and didn’t understand all the things that go on and how it works. Now, I fully understand how everything operates and I believe I’ll be more effective in a second term. There are a lot of things we didn’t get done that I think we can get done in the next session. I hope to be part of it. We’ve already talked about some things that we want to implement and planning wise. I hope I’m doing the right things for the people. I’m conscientious and conservative. I think the town likes that approach.

Q. What strengths do you feel you would bring to the position?

Devlin: My work experience helps in understanding some of the fiscal matters that the board is responsible for and that the town is faced with. I also bring an emphasis on planning to try to allow time for discussion and analysis, to be in front of issues rather than just reacting to unexpected situations. I bring some previous budgeting experience to the board, which I think has been useful in developing and explaining the municipal budget and can help improve the process further in the future.

Fitzmorris: Engaging the skills that I have developed during my lifetime. Ethical, practical, sensible, listening, questioning. 

Kane: As a people manager in Technology for many years, I have honed my strengths as an engaged listener, enthusiastic problem solver, and effective communicator. I look forward to putting these skills to use on the Select Board.

Ross: I’m a conservative. I’m not quick to make a judgment. I think we have to do some research on a lot of the things that we’re spending on and that the town is doing before we go ahead and jump in and spend a lot of the town’s money, whether it’s really needed or not. Some things are really needed and some things aren’t. I’m not ready to just, you know, go ahead and say yes. Oh, sure. You want that? Oh, good. We’ll just do it. No, we have to think about it, we have to research it a little bit and think about it.

Q. When faced with difficult decisions, what is your approach?

Devlin: Allow sufficient time to be sure there is agreement on what the desired goal or outcome is and that as much relevant data as possible has been gathered. Insure all options have been identified and what criteria is important to compare them. Identify the pros and cons of each option and consider the long-term effects of a decision not just the immediate impact to avoid any unintended consequences. Finally, listen to the opinions of others, especially those who may disagree with me, to be sure I haven’t missed anything in reaching a conclusion.

Fitzmorris: Question everything. Get the facts. Assess the choices. Be open to input from others. Provide a clear understanding of the choices when possible before reaching a decision.

Kane: It is important to collect all of the relevant information relating to the decision, engage in active discussion, itemize all pros and cons, and come to a consensus with the group based on these facts and details.

Ross: I talk with others, with some of the constituents and people in the town and friends that I have. I ask them, ‘What do you think we ought to do, is it really necessary? Can we do without it? Is it something that, you know, we have to have to operate effectively? Or is it something that is a whim?’ I have a lot of people that think like I do, and I have a lot of people that don’t think like I do. There are other people on the board, and they’ll voice their opinion. I’ll voice mine and we’ll come to a consensus. We’ve got a good board. I’m happy with the way things go. We all have a different outlook, but we all have the same goal in mind — what’s best for the town.

Q. Name three major concerns you have regarding the town/school system, explain why they are concerns?

Devlin: First, the fact that the school district is considering closing Harrison Elementary School, coupled with the fact that Harrison pays a significantly higher per pupil cost than most of the other towns in the district, warrants looking at what other primary and secondary educational options are available to the town.

Second, I think the Village Improvement Project is important to the long-term economic sustainability of the town. We need to restore a well-kept, physical “face” to the town village, implement pedestrian safety improvements, and address the need for adequate summer parking to attract small businesses to locate here and encourage people to visit, and stay in Harrison. I am concerned that this project doesn’t have much visibility and we don’t, as yet, have sufficient community awareness and buy-in to make this effort successful.

Third, I think it is important this year for the Select Board to work on improving community engagement and building and increasing trust in the board. I think we can do this in two ways: by completing our Capital Asset Management Plan for the future and sharing it with the public and, just as importantly, to be sure citizens feel respected and welcomed when they present individual issues for the board to consider.

Fitzmorris: My concern in town government is that there are some folks that go along to get along. We need strong leadership, even if it is not popular. The citizens of Harrison deserve a good, clear government working together on their behalf with regard to the wellbeing of everyone.

The concern about our current school system is that we don’t get to the answers that we need for the students that we send to the Oxford Hills school system and why it costs the town of Harrison so much more per student than any other town in the system. It always has and it remains today, the largest part of our tax bills. My biggest concern is that we have accepted the idea that we can’t change it or do anything about it. It is just the way it is.

Kane: My three major current concerns for the town are as follows: First, we had a full-town re-evaluation and our citizens do not yet know the impact to their tax bills. I think it is important for us to ensure citizens know how to reach out to the appropriate folks with questions and concerns, especially for our part-time citizens who may not know the details of where their tax dollars go.

Second, it is important for us to appropriately develop an actionable plan for the information presented in the recent Fire Study. This was a significant investment for our town with a number of valid suggestions which we should not ignore.

Third, we are faced with decisions around our elementary school and the regional school district in general.  It will be important for us to investigate all of the possibilities around these challenges in order to determine the best outcome for the children of Harrison and the citizens contributing to the school system with their tax dollars.

Ross: Well, obviously the school budget concerns me that went up 14%, $200,000. I’ve complained about this for a long, long time. It’s because of the way the tax bracket is set up in Oxford County and Cumberland County. There’s nothing that we can do at this point. We’ve had everybody look into it — two town managers before — we’re really hung out to dry. That concerns me. I don’t know what we can do. There are some alternatives, but I think they’re pretty expensive. I think we’re going to talk about it.

Obviously, another concern is the fire department, and what we’re going to do, whether it is this year or in the near future. The stump dump and brush disposal is another problem we’re looking into, and the Rec Department needs some help.

Q. Finally, if a person was to ask, “Why should I vote for you?” how would you answer?

Devlin: I think I con tribute a critical voice of asking why we have done things a certain way in the past and is there a better way. I bring an analytical perspective to the decision-making process and I tend to see many things through a financial lens so I try to be sure we can tie financial requests to specific outcomes that make sense. I also try to remind the board that, while we want to maintain the small, rural village character of Harrison, the world around us is constantly changing. Whether we like it or not, some change will be necessary to sustain a stable, permanent residential population, a resilient, long-term local economy and, ultimately, a stable property tax rate.

Fitzmorris: Anything that I have ever undertaken, I have always worked hard at to make it successful. My professional career has been successful through hard work and attention to the needs of those who I served. Given my volunteer background in Harrison, I have worked very hard in helping several organizations attain their goals in fund raising and providing services to those in need. Those are the facts. That is what I do. The choice is yours to make.

Kane: It is my goal to participate on the Select Board with the point of view of a working grandmother, engaged listener, and enthusiastic problem solver. In finding resolutions to challenges, it is important to have diversity of experience and opinion in order to gain consensus and find solutions that will benefit our entire community.Ross: I’m just like you. I want the best for the town, and I want it at as cheaper price as I can get it. I want to be conservative. I want to keep Harrison, Harrison. I don’t want to go big time. I want the town to operate at a conservative level. I thin