READFIELD — The ballot on Tuesday will include two contested races in which residents will vote to elect a member of the Select Board and a member of Regional School Unit 38 board of directors.
Dennis Price, 45, is up for reelection after having held the post for six years since 2017. Price said the town is doing good, but there is room to do even better.
“For me, the biggest thing is always going to be the costs of delivering services,” said Price. “One of the things that is easy to lose track of is that the budget has only gone 4% from last year, and it is due to intelligent planning, careful budgeting and money well spent.”
Price also noted his excitement for the upcoming recreational project to bring a ballpark to the fairgrounds site. The project is up for approval as one of the ballot questions.
“If people do vote that this should go on then we will come back and discuss it and get that done. So, costs and recreational activities are two big priorities,” said Price.
Price’s opponent in his bid to get reelected is David Linton.
In a candidates’ forum held last month, Linton, who has never held public office before, mentioned that one of the biggest challenges for the town is keeping the cost down for projects undertaken by Readfield.
“Everybody is feeling the crunch. So, one thing I want to get involved with is bringing contractors around central Maine back to Readfield. We are failing in that, no one wants to work for Readfield,” said Linton. “I know them (the contractors) and I talk to them, and I feel I can bridge that gap.”
Linton also noted that when prices are surging due to inflation, it is important to not spend taxpayer dollars on anything except the necessities. He also made his frustrations known about how town meetings are run with minimal public input and that he intends to change that.
“If 50 people want to stand up and say the same thing, I want that, I want to know what everyone is thinking, and they should have a chance to make that known,” he said.
Linton did not respond to a request for an interview with the newspaper.
An RSU 38 board seat is also up for election.
Marie Rodriguez, who has lived in Readfield for 23 years, is running for the position. Rodriguez is also a Navy veteran and a former school nurse.
“During my time as a nurse I understood the collaboration between nurses and students and families and the educators was so important for educational and emotional achievement for children,” Rodriguez said in a forum last month. “That’s one of the reasons I am running. We have good schools, but we need to keep an eye on them to ensure they remain good schools.”
She noted during the forum that her No. 1 priority is the academic success of the students.
“With COVID there was some learning time lost, and I want to put a system in place which can get these students up to speed,” she said. “It is imperative that we are doing the best we can for these students.”
Competing with Rodriguez for the board seat is Brian Tarbuck. Tarbuck has served on the road and broadband committees and is also a longtime resident of Readfield.
Tarbuck mentioned that, if elected, his primary focus would be to streamline communication to update parents and educators efficiently on what the school board is doing.
Both candidates also talked about providing students with additional career paths in vocational studies.
“Schools are a big investment for every town, and the school board has to ensure that policy and procedures follow the state’s guidelines, and we have to work collaboratively, even if we disagree,” said Tarbuck. “And that is what we teach in schools, so it comes back in a circle.”
Tarbuck and Rodriguez could not be reached for further comment.
The election will be held at Kents Hill School Alfond Athletic Center at 1617 Main St. from 8 a.m to 8 p.m. It will include voting by secret ballot on all annual Town Meeting warrant items.
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