Wiscasset voters will choose between a former selectman and two first-time hopefuls when filling a selectman’s seat on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The candidates on the ballot for former selectman Bill Barnes’ unexpired seat are Roland Abbott, Judith Colby and David Flynn. Polls will be open at Wiscasset Community Center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Roland Abbott

Roland Abbott has lived in Wiscasset most of his life. He has previously served as a Wiscasset firefighter, assistant fire chief, town Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director, and, for 10 years, director of Wiscasset Ambulance Service; he has been on a short leave from his service as a member of the ambulance service, he said.

The former budget committee member said he has always wanted to run for selectman. “I grew up here (and) I always felt that if you want to be involved, you need to get involved.

“I think now is the time to step up and see if I can help the town.”

He couldn’t run for selectman when he was head of the ambulance service, he said. “So when this opportunity came up, I figured it’s seven months. It’s a good chance to try it. If the people like me and I like the job, I’ll run again next year.”

If elected, he would first sit back and listen rather than come out with any proposals, he said. “I know a lot of what’s going on, but still need to be brought up to speed ... I just want to go in and do the best I can (and) do the best I can for the townspeople.”

Asked about economic development, Abbott said: “We need to promote business in this town. We need to court business, not try to stop business. I think we should really work on establishing businesses in the Route 1 corridor ... anything that will generate taxes and jobs for the town, I’m all for that.”

The town needs to liquidate the Mason Station properties it owns, he said. “They need to turn those into taxable properties again.”

He opposes tax-increment financing types of tax breaks for businesses. “I understand we did it for Molnlycke, but that was a little bit of a different situation. If somebody wants to come into town with a business, I feel that they should be paying their fair share of their taxes just like everybody else.”

He would approach being a selectman as people would expect, he said. “Everybody knows me. I am who I am. You get me at face value. Don’t ask me a question if you don’t want an honest answer.”

The town should hold off on selling the former Wiscasset Primary School property, Abbott said. “Maybe for a year to see where the dust settles ... We might get a big business in town and have a big influx of students.

“I think we need to not do a knee-jerk reaction and sell it right off quick.”

The Wiscasset Newspaper asked candidates for their views on the topic of drones, a new issue for selectmen recently, over both over a school course and the idea of a drone to patrol the town’s clam flats.

Drones have their place, Abbott said. They could be used to patrol the flats and to help on a search for a lost person, he said. “I think that the students up here should be schooled in what they are and how to use them. It’s the thing of the future.”

Judith Colby

Former Wiscasset selectman Judith Colby served two terms on the board and is also a past member of the town’s budget committee and school board. She worked 10 years as a school bus driver, first for Wiscasset and then Regional School Unit 12. She is now a substitute teacher and substitute bus driver for Wiscasset.

She has lived in Wiscasset a total of 25 years since 1968, including the last 10 years.

A number of issues that Wiscasset was facing when she last served as a selectman in 2014 continue to be issues, Colby said when asked why she wants to get back on the board. Those continuing issues include decisions to make on the Mason Station properties and the need to draw more business to town. “So I think that’s part of my reasoning in wanting to get back.

“I enjoyed my time on the board, I really did,” she added. “And I like working with the people and setting priorities so that the town of Wiscasset will go forward instead of backwards, and make this a place where people want to come and bring their children, and live.

“I just want to be able to do what I feel is right for the townspeople and the town. In the past, I’ve always looked at every issue independently and determined what I felt the townspeople would want ... You’re just looking at that particular issue and you don’t let other people or other circumstances influence your decision.”

On Mason Station, Colby would like to find a buyer who might be willing to share cleanup costs with the town. “I’d like to see a nice business go in down there, to help with the tax base and help give jobs to Wiscasset,” she said.

Regarding economic development in general, Colby said it’s up to the town planner and town manager to find opportunities the board can explore.

“We’ve always talked about getting a pharmacy in town. That hasn’t happened. And a lot of people don’t like driving to Bath or Damariscotta. There are areas in town that we could do it in,  (and) it would be ideal for a Walgreens, or CVS or something.”

She would like to see the former Wiscasset Primary School property back on the tax rolls. “I personally think it’s an ideal place for assisted living, because it’s all on one level and and it’s open-concept. I think it’d be perfect.”

Colby wants property owners’ taxes to be affordable, and wants to avoid further use of the town’s reserve fund for things other than capital improvements. “That’s one of the things I really like, is to be able to improve the town by using the interest on that money so that things don’t become a burden on the taxpayers. We don’t want to let things go that have to be fixed ... your garages, your trucks, the town hall.”

On the topic of drones, Colby said. “Not knowing much about them, it makes you kind of leery. Exactly where are they going to be flying, what are they going to be doing, that makes it kind of a new frontier. I think it’s good for the (WMHS) kids to have that challenge, and hopefully everything will be fine.”

David Flynn

Millinocket native David Flynn moved to Wiscasset about three and a half years ago. He worked as a truck driver for Hammond Lumber in Brunswick for about two years, then worked for about a year in production at Molnlycke and has just returned to truck driving, for Hancock Lumber in Damariscotta.

He retired as a correctional sergeant after 29 years working for the Maine Department of Corrections.

Flynn said he’s always had a strong interest in politics. It’s important to know three things about him, he said. “One, I’m a Christian. Two, I’m a Republican. And three, I’m a conservative. I believe ... we need to spend our money wisely (and) this town needs to open their eyes and realize that Maine Yankee is no longer here and we cannot spend money like they’re still here. We’re just a small town. We need to be a small town and focus on the problems that can be managed on a daily basis and on a lifelong basis also.”

Regarding the Mason Station properties, Flynn said, “I don’t know a lot of the facts behind it, but I do know that the town should not invest taxpayer dollars into something unless there is a benefit to the taxpayers’ themselves .... The fact is, a lot of people work hard in this town for what they have.”

Economic development should center on attracting investors who want to spend money in Wiscasset, Flynn said. “There’s no reason for the town itself to invest big dollars in something that is not going to be beneficial.

“As a town we need to be open to further development, and make it readily available and accessible to investors. We need to make it reasonable to get the application and permitting process through, so that we can attract businesses that are going to be beneficial to the community.”

He doesn’t have a problem with tax-increment financing for a business, if the breaks are reasonable, he said. “We don’t want to give it away. But getting 10 percent of something is still better than getting 10 percent on a vacant lot.”

Flynn favors the town continuing to market the former primary school property. The layout was an architectural dream, but is not feasible for a school, he said.

“If they can get a certain amount for it without giving it away, it’s great. It’s off the burden of the taxpayers, because it’s going to cost the taxpayers something to maintain.” Unoccupied buildings deteriorate quickly, he said.

“I believe that if it doesn’t sell, that it may be worth it to look at actually demolishing the building so that you don’t have to pay to maintain it.”

On the drones question, Flynn said he has no problem with students furthering their education on technology by learning about them; and if Maine Yankee wanted to use them for security, he said, “I would support that 100 percent.”

But he doesn’t believe the town needs a drone patrolling the flats. “If someone’s cheating and they take a little extra, I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s worth it. We don’t need drones.”