20082008 CAPITAL AREA VOTER GUIDE A review of the candidates and issues on the Nov. 4 ballot Produced by A supplement to the Capital Weekly Serving Augusta, Hallowell, Gardiner, Winthrop and the surrounding communities of Central Maine Page 2 CAPITAL AREA VOTER GUIDE Oct. 30, 2008 Local Races & Issues ‘Incremental’ charter Mayo-Wescott challenges Coffin for Augusta seat By John Hale offer on the City Council,” Coffin [email protected] said. changes on Augusta’s AUGUSTA — Mary Mayo- Augusta City Council Coffin has been very involved Wescott, a veteran of Augusta in coaching youth sports. He city politics, is challenging At- coached Little League baseball and municipal ballot Large Augusta City Councilor girls’ softball a total of 19 years, Edward Coffin, who is running YMCA basketball a total of 25 for a second three-year term on By John Hale devoted to obtaining comments years and was assistant coach of an [email protected] from the public and almost all the council in the Nov. 4 election. AAU basketball team. AUGUSTA — In the Nov. 4 meetings having public comment All the other candidates on the Coffin is an inaugural member municipal election, the voters of periods. Augusta ballot are unopposed. of the Kennebec Valley Sports Hall Augusta will be asked to approve The revised charter can be read Coffin is a retired professional of Fame. changes in the Augusta City online at www.augustamaine.gov engineer and land surveyor who He designed the baseball fields Charter that have been approved by clicking on “Charter owned and ran his own engineering on Piggery Road for the Capitol by a majority of the seven-mem- Commission.” firm for 27 years and had extensive Area Recreation Association. ber Augusta Charter Commission experience with highways, bridges, Coffin had five children with and the Augusta City Council. buildings and hydrology. his first wife, who died, and is now This is the third time a charter INITIATIVE AND “I’m a positive person. The married to May Ross, who also has commission has been convened in REFERENDUM reception I’ve been getting has Mary Mayo-Wescott Edward Coffin five children. been great,” Coffin said. Of his Coffin served on the most the last 20 years, following com- Most of the proposed changes to opponent, Coffin said. “She’s a great with the new Comprehensive recent Lithgow Library Building missions in 1988 and 1998. In addi- the charter are in Article V-A, deal- was bought by a previous council tough opponent.” Plan for Augusta’s future. I have Committee. “We investigated every tion, several minor changes were ing with initiative and referendum. so the library could expand. “I’m Mayo-Wescott is owner of the knowledge and expertise, the possible alternative and we always approved in the City Charter by Here is a summary: deeply disappointed in the mayor Maine Light Productions. She has skills and the passion to make came back to the original site and voters in 2002. • City voters shall have the (Roger Katz, who campaigned been executive producer and things happen for my community.” the original plan,” he said. “All of If voters defeat these charter power of initiative to propose ordi- against a 2007 bond issue for anchor of the TV show “Maine Mayo-Wescott wants to enact a the City Council supports the changes, then the city will continue nances, orders and resolves and the expanding the library). I believe he View Business Magazine” for 19 code of ethics for the mayor and library. Right now, it’s just a fund- to operate under the 2002 charter. power of referendum to repeal ordi- has another strategy for the use of years on Cable TV Channel 9 and council. And she wants there to be a ing question: How much is to be Ward 4 City Councilor Mark nances, orders and resolves adopted the money. Nonetheless, I totally statewide. rule that any property assessed at raised privately and how much is to O’Brien, who was an appointed by the City Council. support his vision for downtown.” She said that her opponent “is a more than $50,000 gets an appraisal be raised publicly.” member of the Charter • A referendum to repeal a coun- “The only thing that can be very fine person and he’s done a lot before it is sold by the city. Coffin also served on the recent Commission and served as its chair, cil order authorizing the city to done right now is for people to for the community.” Mayo-Wescott was founder and committee that studied reuse of the wrote in the final report of the com- enter into a contract may occur only raise some money,” she said. “The past president of Friends of the former American Tissue plant site. mission that the panel did not once. city has set up an account for the Flatiron Building Inc. She is a “The first thing we should do is choose to fundamentally change • An application for referendum library. This is not a hopeless MARY member of Le Club Calumet and make the site environmentally Augusta’s council/manager form of must be filed within 60 days of pas- cause. Where there’s a will, there’s MAYO-WESCOTT the Kennebec Valley Chamber of acceptable,” he said. “We’re going government. sage of an ordinance, order or a way. It’s the library’s turn now.” “Rather, the recommended Mary Mayo-Wescott, 68, is an Mayo-Wescott thinks the for- Commerce. to take the property for taxes. resolve after Nov. 15, 2008. Hopefully we can make some changes aim to improve, in incre- • Ten qualified voters may orig- Augusta native and a 1958 gradu- mer American Tissue plant proper- mental ways, the way the Charter ate of Cony High School. She ty should be redeveloped once all money in salvage when the build- inate an application for an initiative EDWARD COFFIN ings are demolished. Then we can guides our local government,” or referendum with the city clerk. attended the University of Maine at environmental questions are set- O’Brien writes. Augusta for five years, with three tled. “That’s prime land on the Edward Coffin, 76, is a Freeport finally find a developer to come up The clerk shall, within two business with an idea for the site. It all He points out that “A charter is days, deliver the application to the years of study in public administra- Kennebec River,” she said. “It native who has lived in Augusta for the municipal equivalent of a state tion and two years in liberal studies could be business or housing. We 54 years. He graduated from depends on the ingenuity of the city attorney, who shall have 10 entity that buys that place.” or federal constitution. A municipal business days to deliver a written with a focus on communications have to have a good plan that con- Freeport High School in 1949 and charter establishes the fundamen- and TV production. nects all our riverfront assets.” earned a bachelor of science degree Coffin thinks there is opportuni- opinion on whether the petition ty to create apartments on the upper tals of how the city operates. A question is in conflict with the “I’m a lifelong learner,” she She wants to preserve the rail- in civil engineering from the charter is not easy to change, and it said. road link through Augusta as well. University of Maine in 1954. floors of downtown buildings. Constitution, statutes or regulations “I really believe our biggest should not be.” of the United States, or the She has two grown daughters, a Mayo-Wescott recognizes there For 27 years, he ran Coffin Besides O’Brien, the appointed granddaughter and a great-grand- is a need for more affordable hous- Engineering and Surveying, with short-term problem this winter is Constitution, statutes or regulations going to be heating for some city members of the Charter of the state of Maine or the city daughter. ing units in Augusta. “People are offices in Augusta and Camden. Commission were Donald Roberts, She was elected four times to hurting out there and we need more He said his favorite engineering residents,” he said. “Every building charter. has something in it that is creating who served as vice chairman; and • In a new provision, the city serve a total of eight years on the affordable housing,” she said. “I project was designing the Camden Michael Seitzinger; Elected mem- Augusta City Council from 1992 to would work hard to make sure that Woolen Mill Complex with a river heat loss. We’re going to have a attorney will be ready to work with hell of a problem. I’m just praying bers were Tim Bolton, Ward 1; May the applicants during a 10-day peri- 1996 and 1998 to 2002. happens. Cony LLC Village is a running through it. He also engi- Ross-Coffin, Ward 2; Richard While she was on the council, good example of that.” neered the MBNA buildings in for a mild winter.” od following issuance of his or her Coffin thinks the city should at Dumont, Ward 3; and William opinion to help resolve perceived Mayo-Wescott succeeded in reacti- As for helping people with their Belfast. Johnson, Ward 4, who acted as sec- vating the Augusta Historic heating bills this winter, Mayo- He was named Maine Surveyor least put out a checklist for resi- illegalities or to improve clarity of dents so they know what to do to retary. the question before it goes to the Preservation Commission and the Wescott said, “There are some of the Year in 1999.