Newcomer to Wiscasset politics Jennifer Hanley works in a Damariscotta law office and runs a seasonal business in Wiscasset called “Seasonal Sisters,” offering cleaning for cottages and summer homes. She also rents out her Wiscasset house during much of the summer to tourists. She lives with her children in a tent when the house is being rented.

Hanley said this is the first time she has ever run for public office. “I think government should be responsive to the citizens,” she said. “I care about the community, and I think, as a younger person, I’d be more willing to learn and try new things.” Hanley is 35.

She said she did not think the Maine Department of Transportation project would make any difference at all. “We have such short summers, and everyone knows Wiscasset is a bottleneck,” she said. She said she had heard that the amount of time that would be saved by the changes would be small. “To lose parking for downtown businesses for such a minor improvement doesn’t seem reasonable to me,” she said.

Hanley said she doesn’t have a lot of information yet about the various town issues. “I’ll have to learn about them as they come up,” she said.

She said she has three children in Wiscasset schools, and has concerns about the schools and the cost of education. “We need to do everything we can do to bring our taxes down,” she said, pointing out that she is renting her home out and working two jobs, in part, to pay taxes. She is also concerned about the effect high taxation will have on her small business.

“I need to learn more about issues in Wiscasset, but I believe I would be an asset to the select board,” she said. “I enjoy helping people out, listening to them, being there for them. I consider myself a problem solver, and I believe that together, we can come up with solutions to any problem.”