Dear Editor:

It doesn’t always happen, but sometimes people from away turn out to be a perfect fit with the place they land in. Dusty Jones’ previous 20-year career working with individuals with behavior problems and agencies that serve them, entailed lots of moving. At the Select Board candidate forum at the Wiscasset Community Center May 24, Jones talked about deciding to settle down in Wiscasset and get involved. He dove right in, running for and winning a seat on the Select Board in 2021, a seat that he is running for again.

It is clear that Dusty has loved getting to know so many people in town, and is proud of what the board has accomplished during his two-year membership. That includes dealing with deferred maintenance problems, supporting hiring of a town planner, advancing the moves towards a town-wide fiber optic network, raising salaries for town employees, and ambitious pursuit of waterfront development. Dusty foresees more families and young people moving into the area in the next 20 years, and he wants to make sure the town is “pulling as much value out of the waterfront as it can.”

At the forum, Jones said he has made it a priority to work with and support the town staff. “We’ve got an incredible staff,” he said. “What folks are able to accomplish with the resources we’ve got for them is amazing.”

He also is committed to representing the town’s entire population. He has focused on discipline in the budget process, and points out that the town is meeting its goals while lowering the property tax rate for the first time in years.

“I love this job,” he said of his two years on the board. “I really enjoy doing it, but the best part is getting to know everyone that I interact with. I feel like I’ve been doing a good job for us, and I hope you agree, because I’d like to keep doing it.” I agree, and plan to vote for Dusty.

Tom Eichler

Wiscasset