New Finance Director joins Town of Raymond

By Kendra Raymond

Brenda Fox-Howard has hit the ground running as the newly hired Finance Director for the Town of Raymond. On board since late August of this year, Howard is busy learning the ropes and getting up to speed on the town’s financial operations.

Brenda Fox-Howard is the new Finance Director
for the Town of Raymond. In her position she
will oversee the town's finances and help to
formulate the town's annual budget.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

A seasoned veteran working in town government, Howard hopes to integrate her years of experience into her new role.

“I have over 15 years of government financial experience working with different municipalities in and outside of Maine,” she said. “I enjoy the small community feel – it’s just my preference.”

Raymond Town Manager Sue Look said that she is pleased with the addition of Fox-Howard.

“Brenda has jumped in with both feet. She’s doing a fantastic job,” Look said. “We are thrilled to have her.”

Fox-Howard says that she’s optimistic about her new role and is enjoying getting to know folks from all walks of life in Raymond.

“There is a lot of vibrance here. Certainly, a lot of moving parts going on, and that is great,” she said.

She said that she is quite familiar with the area, having served as the interim Town Manager of New Gloucester recently.

As the Town of Raymond’s Director of Finance, Fox-Howard also serves as the town’s Treasurer. She oversees a vast array of financial responsibilities associated with the town’s operations. Fox-Howard says that some of her responsibilities include managing accounts payable and receivable, overseeing payroll and taxes, bank reconciliation, and a lot of general ledger management.

According to the position advertisement, the job description states, “This is a full-time position reporting to the Town Manager and is responsible for all activities and operations of the Finance Department. The Finance Director will be responsible for the collection and disbursement of all municipal funds. Duties include budgeting, investment of funds, financial forecasting, and capital planning. Also invoice payment, payroll management, cash receipts, bank deposits, any other financial transactions. The Finance Director is responsible for the preparation of the town’s annual budget, while working closely with the Town Manager and all department heads. Will also work with financial advisor to prepare for bond financing. Must have the ability to prepare the required reports as mandated by Federal, State, and County agencies and serve as the chief liaison with the accounting firm. Will be responsible for seeking bids for all insurance and administer employee medical insurance enrollment.”

Fox-Howard says that the town is currently conducting an audit, and along with that she is presently working on formulating next year’s budget for review by the Raymond Budget-Finance Committee and the Raymond Board of Selectmen.

She’s happy to report that the current software system used by Raymond is “good to go for many years to come” and the town is working on a new purchase order system.

Originally from Connecticut, Fox-Howard has been a Maine resident for many years. She received her education at Colorado Technical University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Management. She has previously worked as the director of finance in several towns, including Peterborough, New Hampshire, Putnam, Connecticut, and Winchester, Connecticut. She’s also served as a materials analyst at several companies in Connecticut including General Dynamics Electric Boat Division in Groton, Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford, and Dow Chemical in Gales Ferry, where she was also a rail fleet manager, and as a Financial Manager III for the State of Vermont from 2012 to 2014.

Fox-Howard says she has a positive outlook about her new position in Raymond.

“Everybody has been very nice to work with. It’s such a great group,” she said. “Even though I been very busy, I am enjoying the small-town feel here in Raymond.” <

Candidate field set for November election

The field of candidates for Maine's General Election on
Nov. 8 has been finalized with voting scheduled at
Windham High School for Windham residents
and Jordan-Small Middle School for Raymond residents.
COURTESY PHOTO 

By Ed Pierce

It’s been said that voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves and each other and once more on Nov. 8, residents of Windham and Raymond will visit polling places to cast ballots to shape the future of the community.

According to Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell and Raymond Town Clerk Sue Look, the field of candidates for the election has been finalized and those running for office will now make their case to the public leading up to Election Day.

In Windham, three candidates for the Windham Town Council are unopposed.

Town Council Chair Jarrod Maxfield is unopposed in his bid for re-election to represent the town’s North District for a three-year term, while South District incumbent Nicholas Kalogerakis is unopposed for re-election to a three-year term. Maxfield has represented the North District of Windham since 2016. Kalogerakis was elected to represent the South District on the council in 2019.

John Henry is unopposed for election to the At-Large position for town council in Windham for a three-year term. Councilor Ed Ohmott chose not to seek re-election for the At-Large seat. 

Two three-year positions on the RSU 14 Board of Directors representing Windham will be decided on Election Day by voters choosing from a field of three candidates. 

Incumbent Marge Govoni, a former RSU 14 board chair, is seeking re-election. Two other candidates are on the ballot, including former board member Christina Small, who was first appointed to a seat on the board in 2020 to fill a vacancy. Small announced that she would be a candidate for a permanent seat on the board in 2021 but later withdrew her name for consideration for that position. First-time candidate Caitlynn Downs is also running for one of the RSU 14 Board of Directors seats.

Also running for a five-year term as a Portland Water District Trustee representing Windham and Raymond is Louise Douglas of Windham. Douglas was first elected to the Portland Water District board in 2017 and has served as Trustees chair since 2020.

For the State Senate District 26 seat representing Windham and part of Raymond, two candidates are vying to replace incumbent Bill Diamond, a Democrat, who is term-limited and cannot run for re-election this year. Former Windham Town Councilor Tim Nangle, a Democrat, will face former State Senator and State Representative Gary Plummer, a Republican.

Maine legislative districts have been renumbered for the next term and the two incumbent representatives for Windham, State Rep. Patrick Corey, a Republican, and State Rep. Mark Bryant, a Democrat, are both term-limited and cannot run for re-election during this election cycle.

For the newly renamed Maine House District 106, newcomer Dana Reed, a Democrat, will face Barbara Bagshaw, a Republican, for the right to represent Windham in the Legislature. Bagshaw was a candidate for a seat on the RSU 14 Board of Directors in 2021.

In the newly renamed Maine House District 107, newcomer Michael Hall, a Republican, will oppose Jane Pringle, a Democrat, to represent Windham in the 131st Maine Legislature. Pringle formerly represented Windham’s District 111 as state representative from 2012 to 2014. Hall is a member of Windham’s Human Services Advisory Committee.

Incumbent Jessica Fay, a Democrat, is seeking re-election in a newly redrawn and renumbered House District 86 representing Raymond, Casco, and Poland. She is opposed by Republican Greg Foster, who defeated Karen Lockwood in the primary in June for the opportunity to oppose Fay in the election.

There are no statewide referendums on this year’s ballot. A referendum to change Maine’s primary utility company into a quasi-public agency has been tabled until 2023 because organizers indicated they did not have the necessary signatures before the deadline to make the November ballot. <

Raymond residents set to cast ballots June 8

Raymond's annual town meeting will be conducted by secret 
balloting on Tuesday, June 8 at Jordan-Small Middle School.
A number of committee posts and a seat on the town's Select
Board will be determined by the results of the voting. Also
being voted on is the approval of the RSU 14 school budget.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

By Briana Bizier

For the second year in a row, COVID-19 has disrupted the Town of Raymond’s annual Town Meeting. This year, like in 2020, Raymond residents will be voicing their opinions on the town’s proposed budget and candidates through a secret ballot at Jordan-Small Middle School on Tuesday, June 8 instead of during the traditional in-person Town Meeting.

“When we made the decision to use the secret ballot, we made it out of caution, and trying to take care of our townspeople,” said Raymond’s Town Manager Don Willard. “The whole idea of trying to do business in a pandemic is not easy. Our citizens and staff have been so cooperative and understanding of the safety protocols to keep people safe. We’re very, very appreciative of our citizens and how great they’ve been to work with us.”

Raymond’s 2020 Town Meeting was also disrupted due to the pandemic, which resulted in the town’s electorate facing an eight-page ballot to approve the budget items and ordinances that would normally have been approved with an in-person vote.

“Last year we didn’t have any serious complaints,” Willard said, “but the ballot was long, and there could be some voter fatigue.”

This year’s ballot is a bit different.

“It’s four full pages on two sheets of paper,” said Raymond Town Clerk Sue Look, and the items on this year’s ballot are not expected to generate too much strife. “It’s pretty much business as usual. There aren’t any controversial issues on the ballot, that I’m aware of.”

Look said that the budget items on the ballot, which include funding for Raymond’s Public Safety and Public Works Departments, are the same as previous years, although the specific amounts differ.

Raymond’s Finance Director Alex Aponte echoed Look’s sentiments. 

“When we were putting it together, we saw no need to make any major changes. There are no surprises in this budget,” Aponte said.

Willard agreed, and shared some positive news.

“The town is in great fiscal shape,” Willard said.

This year’s ballot also includes the annual budget for RSU 14, which needs to be approved by voters, as well as several land use ordinance updates.

“These ordinance updates are necessary, and in some cases required by law,” Look said.

Voters who wish to read up on the individual ballot items before voting can view the full warrant and the ballot on the Town of Raymond’s website.

CANDIDATES

For many Raymond voters, the biggest decision they will face at the polls on Tuesday will be choosing their newest elected representatives. Incumbent Kate Levielle is running unopposed for a three-year seat on the RSU 14 Board of Directors, and Robert Gosselin and Kevin Oliver are running to fill two out of the five open seats on Raymond’s Budget and Finance Committee.

Those three open seats could be an excellent opportunity for a Raymond resident with an interest in local politics.

“At this point, it wouldn’t take very many write-in votes for someone to be elected to the Budget and Finance Committee,” Town Clerk Look said. “That position certainly gives folks a good overview of the town and the functions. It’s actually quite interesting, and it’s a good way to see what the town is doing.”

The only contested race on the upcoming ballot is to fill the one open position on Raymond’s Board of Selectmen. Joseph Bruno, Dana Desjardins, and Abigail Geer are all vying for the position, which is a bit unusual for Raymond.

“There’s only been one other contested race for Select Board in the seven years since I’ve been here,” Look said.

The three candidates shared their platforms in the May edition of the Raymond Roadrunner as well as during a special Meet the Candidates Night on June 1 which was hosted by the Lion’s Club and moderated by Bob Fey.

This forum gave each candidate a chance to introduce themselves and to field questions from Raymond voters. The tone of the conversation was mostly jovial and collaborative, although there were a few moments of mudslinging, especially when one candidate was accused of being a Yankees fan.

“One of the things I learned growing up in Maine is to leave things better than you found them,” Abigail Geer told the audience in her introduction. “For me, that boils down to three things: Look for ways to help people, always go above and beyond, and have a heart for service. I’ve put that to work by working for organizations focused on the social good – schools, community building organizations and nonprofits. For me, this is the logical next step.”

Geer spoke of her experience as a millennial who has done everything from cleaning houses to working in school systems, and she credits her ability to bring a new perspective, fresh ideas, and a new approach to solving problems through collaboration to her unique background. Her priorities include an emphasis on internet access.

“We need reliable, steady internet,” Geer said. “It drops regularly now. We really need to think about the infrastructure we need in place to support not just those who work from home, but those who want to live in the 21^st century.”

Bruno also spoke fondly of his long history in Maine as he introduced himself to the audience.

“It’s been wonderful growing up in this town,” Bruno said. “For me, I have a commitment to public service in many ways, whether it’s on the state level, being on the school committee, or on the select board. I took three years off – well, I wasn’t really off, I was on the property/finance committee – and I miss the Select Board, I miss being part of this town, I miss making decisions for this town.”

For Bruno, affordable housing is a key issue.

“We have to grow Raymond smart,” Bruno said. “We need to make sure our taxes are affordable, especially for our seniors. We need to figure out a way to make it affordable for them and for everyone.”

Desjardins also has a history on the Raymond Select Board, and he credits his renewed interest in the Select Board to the pandemic.

“I’ve got a lot of time now on my hands, with all this COVID, and I’ve been watching planning board meetings, zoning meetings. I’ve been living a pretty boring life,” Desjardins said. “Watching a lot of the Select Board meetings – you know, I miss it. I enjoy the interaction with the people of Raymond.”

ISSUES

Desjardins expressed a clear desire to keep spending and taxes low, as well as concern over zoning laws.

“Watershed issues are very important to me, and it should be an important thing for everyone else in this room and in this town,” Desjardins said. “We also need to make a decision: are we or are we not going to allow cannabis sales in this town?”

All three of the Select Board candidates shared their hopes to revitalize the relationship with RSU 14 as well as to create a new comprehensive plan for the Town of Raymond.

“When was the last comprehensive plan done? In the 90s?” Bruno asked. “That’s one of the things the Select Board will have to look at.”

Geer agreed with the need for a comprehensive plan.

“Raymond is beyond beautiful,” Geer said. “We need to know that, in 50 years, our grandkids will have the same access to this natural beauty that we have. We need a comprehensive plan to guide that.”

When asked what they would bring to the Town of Raymond, the candidates all spoke of their desire to bring people together.

“Everyone’s doing their own thing, and we’re missing a sense of community,” Bruno said. “One of the things missing in the town of Raymond is senior suppers and lunches, like we used to do.”

Bruno and Geer both expressed support for the creation of a community center in Raymond, an idea which was countered by Desjardins, who suggested creating a stronger partnership with RSU 14 that would allow Raymond residents to use the existing school buildings as a gathering place.

Geer also spoke of the importance of community events.

“There’s so much opportunity to do events that are low-key, low-cost, and have a high impact,” Geer said. “We could do bingo night, we could do karaoke night, and those could be cheap and cheerful. We need those opportunities for our youngest and our oldest residents to come together, and we’re going to get a lot of bang for our buck.”

Whichever candidate they support, Town Manager Willard promises that Raymond residents will have a positive experience at the polls.

“We’ll have a safe and well-organized, well-run election,” Willard said. “People should get out and vote, it’s important to vote, and we’ll have that organized in a way that’s safe.”

State Representative Jessica Fay said that she agrees with Willard’s call for Raymond residents to take an active role in their local government.

"Participating in Town Meetings and local elections is an important way for residents to make our voices heard,” Fay shared via Facebook. “It’s as important as state and federal elections.”

Raymond’s polls will be open in the Jordan-Small Middle School gymnasium from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 8. <

High voter turnout determines elections results

By Ed Pierce

Significant choices made by voters during Tuesday’s general election will shape the direction of the Windham and Raymond communities for the near future.

Through in-person voting, mail-in and absentee balloting, area voters decided the fate of a special referendum in Raymond to withdraw from RSU 14 and chose elected officials to represent Windham and Raymond in the Maine Legislature, the Maine Senate, on the RSU 14 Windham School Board and picked two councilors to serve on the Windham Town Council.      

In Raymond, Town Clerk Sue Look said that a total of 3,149 voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s election.

The Raymond referendum asking residents if they should withdraw from RSU 14 was defeated with 2,048 votes to 1,018 supporting the proposal.

The referendum was initiated over an ongoing concern from some Raymond residents regarding the town’s level of input and the lack of local control about the school district’s decisions and it was part of a 22-step process required by the State Department of Education to set up a new school district. But those opposed to the withdrawal said it would do more harm to students than good and the voters agreed by voting no on the referendum.

In balloting for Maine House District 67 representing part of Gray, part of Casco, Frye Island and a portion of Raymond, incumbent Sue Austin, a Republican, received 354 votes in Raymond, while Democrat Susan Accardi received 328 votes and Independent Mark Grover tallied 80. Austin won the
seat overall with a total of 3,085 votes to Susan Accardi’s 1,669 and Mark Grover’s 913 votes.

Voting for Maine House District 66, representing part of Raymond, part of Casco and part of Poland, incumbent Democrat Jessica Fay received 1,251 votes from Raymond residents to Republican Gregory Foster’s 1,060 votes. Overall, Fay won the seat with 2,884 votes to Gregory Foster’s 2,745 votes.

“I am grateful to everyone who came out and voted today, and in particular to everyone who worked so incredibly hard to make a day with record breaking turnout run smoothly,” Fay said. “We ran a completely positive campaign focused on ideas and collaboration and I am so proud of that. Maine will face serious challenges in the next two years, and I am ready to help us meet them, together."

In Windham, Town Clerk Linda S. Morrell said results of Tuesday’s election are official.

Morrell said that in voting for Maine House District 24 representing part of Windham, incumbent Democrat Mark Bryant ran unopposed and received 4,638 votes, while incumbent Republican Patrick Corey also ran unopposed and retained his seat representing District 25 by picking up 4,334 votes.

In balloting for State Senate District 26 representing Baldwin, Casco, Frye Island, Raymond, Standish and Windham, Democrat Bill Diamond received 7,426 votes in Windham to Republican Karen Lockwood’s 3,784 votes. Voters in Raymond cast 1,779 votes for Diamond to Lockwood’s 1,289 votes and overall, Diamond retained his seat in the Maine Senate.

"I want to congratulate my opponent, Ms. Lockwood, for running a thoughtful and positive campaign.
Mostly, I want to thank the voters of Windham, Raymond, Standish, Casco, Baldwin and Frye Island for your overwhelming support at the polls,” Diamond said. “Once again I’m humbled by your tremendous endorsement of confidence." 

Voters chose businessman Mark Morrison to serve a three-year term as the At-Large position on the Windham Town Council over former town councilor Robert Muir. Morrison received 5,521 votes to Muir’s 3,739 votes.

In the race for a three-year term representing Windham’s East District on the town council, Brett Jones received 5,102 votes to political newcomer Harrison Deah’s 3,621 voters. Jones, a captain in the Old Orchard Beach Fire Department and a longtime Windham resident,  was appointed by the town council in April to fill the remaining months of the East District seat vacated by the resignation of Councilor Rebecca Cummings in February.

“First of all, I’d like to thank all those who supported me,” Jones said. “I am extremely honored to be able to serve the citizens of Windham and I am excited to continue the work of moving Windham forward.”

Also elected during Tuesday’s voting were incumbents Kathyrn Brix and Pete Heansler to three-year terms on the RSU 14 Windham School Board. Brix received 6,864 votes and Heansler tallied 4,315 votes.

Voters also elected Christina Small of Windham to serve a one-year term on the RSU 14 Windham School Board. Small had been appointed to serve on the board earlier this year following the resignation of Dawn Dillon. She tallied 8,570 votes.

“My priorities for this year will be helping to align our procedures with ever changing regulatory guidelines, the improvement of our distance learning program and continuation of our Social Emotional Learning work,” Small wrote about her candidacy in a letter to the editor last month. <

Voters approve RSU 14 school budget, establish candidate field for general election

Judy Vance, Windham's Registrar of Voters and Deputy Town
Clerk, reviews voter rolls during the Maine State Primary election
conducted at the Windham High School Gymnasium on Tuesday.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

By Ed Pierce

In-person turnout was light for the Maine State Primary in both Windham and Raymond, but nevertheless, important and significant issues were decided at the polls by voters Tuesday.  

Linda Morell, Windham Town Clerk, oversaw voting in Windham’s District 24 and District 25 at Windham High School and the counting of absentee ballots, which saw a record number requested this election cycle because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morell said that during a typical election, about 500 absentee ballots are requested from the town’s Registrar of Voters, but more than 2,700 voters chose to vote by the absentee option this time. Storms and heavy rain in the area may have also kept some voters away from the polling place Tuesday.

“Voting has been light here at Windham High School, but we always strive to handle each election with the utmost integrity for all voters,” Morrell said.

Both Morrell and Raymond Town Clerk Sue Look spent weeks leading up to the primary making sure that voting machines were operational and that every voter that requested an absentee ballot received one in a timely fashion.     

 

On the Raymond ballot, incumbent Select Board members Samuel Gifford and Lawrence A. Taylor III ran unopposed for reelection Tuesday for the three-year terms. Gilford received 799 votes and Taylor tallied 757 votes.

Voters in Raymond also were asked to select individuals by write-in for two different three-year seats on the town’s Budget-Finance Committee. Two incumbent serving on that board, Dana Desjardins and Crystal Rogers did not choose to run for reelection and no other candidates filed at the deadline to run for those positions.

Look said that Joe Bruno, who already is a member of the Budget-Finance Committee, received the highest number of write-in votes with six. Kaela Gonzalez, who is already a town employee received four write-in votes.

According to Look, Laurie Forbes and Leigh Walker also tied with Gonzalez for four write-in votes and they will each by asked by the town if they are interested in serving on this committee.

Raymond voters also approved the Town Meeting Warrant articles which included the town’s 2020-2021 $5 million proposed budget and they also approved RSU 14’s $50.8 million proposed budget, with $10.73 million of that amount to be paid by taxpayers in Raymond.

All voting in Raymond was conducted at the Jordan Small Middle School gymnasium with polls remaining open there from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Windham voters resoundingly approved the RSU 14 school budget by a margin of 2,496 to 1,120.

The proposed $15 million bond to invest in high-speed internet was OK’d by Windham voters, 2,729 to 968. That bond proposal also was approved statewide by Maine voters by a margin of 75 percent to 25 percent opposed.

RSU 14’s Adult Education funding was approved, 2,441 to 1,216, as was the district’s School Capital Reserve Fund transfer of unexpended balances, 2,750 to 671.  Voters also granted RSU 14 the authority to issue bonds through the State of Maine’s zero interest rate/loan forgiveness School Renovation Fund Program, with 2,693 voters in favor and 736 opposed.   

"I would like to thank the communities of Raymond and Windham for the support of our staff through the budget process," said RSU 14 Superintendent of Schools Christopher Howell. "This is especially comforting as we plan for the uncertainty of opening schools in the fall."  

The state Transportation Infrastructure Bond issue also was approved by Windham voters with 2,876 voting for the measure and 849 opposed. That followed a statewide trend which saw voters OK the transportation bond by an overall margin of 78 percent to 23 percent.

The transportation bond authorizes $105 million for the improvement of Maine highways and bridges statewide and accompanies $275 million in federal funding for designated projects in the state. 

The primary results also confirmed opponents for November’s general election for state representative in District 24 and District 25.

As a result of voting Tuesday, Windham Democrat incumbent Mark Bryant will face Republican challenger Nicole Deschambault, also of Windham, for the right to represent District 24 as state representative on Nov. 3, while District 25 will feature a race between Republican incumbent Patrick Corey of Windham and Democrat challenger Jane Pringle.

Pringle, a Windham resident, formerly served as a state representative for House District 111 from 2012 to 2014, but the district was redrawn in 2013 by the Maine Legislature.  

In Windham, the U.S. Senate Democratic Primary voting saw Sara Gideon of Freeport receive 1,429 votes, followed by Betsy Sweet with 381 and Bre Kidman picking up 109 votes. Gideon, who is currently serving as the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, won the nomination statewide Tuesday and will face incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins on Nov. 3.

Raymond’s Democratic Senate Primary results mirrored those of voters in Windham with Gideon receiving 397 votes, Sweet 110 votes and Kidman tallying 34 votes.

Democrat Susan Accardi of Raymond received 111 votes Tuesday and now advances to the Nov. 3 general election to face incumbent Republican Susan Austin of Gray for the Maine House District 67 seat, which includes parts of Raymond, Caso and Gray.

Incumbent State Senator Bill Diamond received 528 votes in Raymond on Tuesday and advances to a Nov. 3 showdown for the Maine Senate District 26 seat against Republican Karen Lockwood of Raymond.

State Representative Jessica Fay of Raymond, a Democrat, received 429 votes in Raymond on Tuesday and will now meet Republican challenger Gregory Foster of Raymond for the Maine House District 66 seat in a rematch of the 2016 election. 

Voters in Raymond also elected Anna Keeney with 316 votes to serve a three-year term representing Raymond on the RSU 14 school board. <