Woolwich voters will have to decide between four candidates for two, three-year seats on the board of selectmen at the Nov. 8 general election.

At least one of those seats will be filled by a new board member. Longtime selectman Lloyd Coombs is retiring from public office at the end of his term on Dec. 31.

The four candidates are Don Adams, Dale Chadbourne, Allen Greene and Gary Harvey. Chadbourne is the incumbent, having served on the board for 25 years.

Town Clerk Janice Bradford said absentee ballots are available at the town office during business hours, Monday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by calling the town office or going online at maine.gov.

New voters can register at the town office or at the polls with proper ID and proof of residency. Voting is from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day at Woolwich Central School.

Don Adams

Adams is making his second bid for the board. He ran last fall and lost to incumbent David King Sr. but true to his words stayed active in town affairs. He was appointed to the town’s Solid Waste and Recycling Committee and regularly attends the bi-weekly selectmen’s meetings.

Adams grew up in the Monmouth-West Gardiner area. Before moving to Woolwich five years ago, he lived in Dresden. He resides on Shaw Road with his wife Eleanor.

Adams said many friends and neighbors who supported him last year encouraged him to run again for selectman. He received 491 votes a year ago. “I think there are a lot of people who believe, like I do, that the board of selectmen could be doing a better job for the taxpayers,” he said.

One example, he said, are the thousands of WasteZero plastic trash bags left over after the town’s exit from the Pay As You Throw program. “It still hasn’t been explained to my satisfaction how we ended up with so many of these bags, four or five pallets’ worth. The contract said they only had to have a six-week supply. “We bought them back and now the town office is trying to sell them,” he continued. “The taxpayers have already paid for them once, I think they (selectmen) should have just given the trash bags away.”

He said selectmen have been slow in responding to the fire and EMS departments who have asked for emergency lights at the intersection of Nequasset Road and Route 1. “Common sense says we should have had these lights installed in order to stop traffic on Route 1 so the emergency responders can get safely to where they need to go.”

Adams said it was good to hear that property taxes weren’t going up this year. “They’re high enough already,” he said, “People who have lived in Woolwich all their lives on fixed incomes are really worried. They don’t know if they’ll be able to continue to live here.”

He said voters have told him they want change at the town office. “For that to occur, you have to elect new members to the board of selectmen.”

Adams said people appear satisfied with the new contracted waste hauler. “I think the town might still consider having its own transfer station. It would be used for construction materials, metal and other trash that’s not currently picked up and has to be carried to Bath.”

Adams said he’ll do some old-fashioned door-to-door campaigning and also has a Facebook page.

Dale Chadbourne

Chadbourne is the incumbent. He was first elected in 1992 when the board went from three to five members.

“My first term was for one year but since then they’ve all been three-year terms.” He was elected selectman one year as a write-in. “I didn’t take out nomination papers but people still voted me into office anyway.”

Chadbourne has lived in Woolwich since he was a boy. He grew up on a 100-acre farm on Chopps Cross Road. One of his early memories is rising in the early morning to crank the butter churn.

After graduating from Morse High, Chadbourne started a towing and wrecker service, Shad & Son Towing. He continues to operate the towing and emergency road service from his home on Thunder Road that he shares with wife Sherry.

Chadbourne has seen a lot of things change in Woolwich over the last 50 years. “One thing that hasn’t changed is this is still a good place to live and raise a family,” he said, adding that’s why he’s continued to serve on the board. “I think the board we have now is a good one. We don’t always agree but all things considered, I think we’ve done a pretty good job working together for the good of the community.”

Chadbourne said the board was able to hold the line on property taxes this year while continuing to maintain roads and other services, in spite of increases in the school budget and county tax commitment. “We’ve had some new construction and home-building in town. Not a lot, but enough to help hold property taxes down.”

“People seem to be happy with the new curbside trash service they’re receiving,” he continued.

During his tenure Chadbourne has served one term as chairman and the last 10 as vice chairman. Although the board doesn’t delegate specific duties, he’s taken on the responsibility of inspecting the trucks used for winter plowing and sanding of town roads.

“As vice chair, I’ve also taken on the task of reviewing the town’s books to see that they are properly balanced each month,” he added.

Although the board now hires out the assessing duties, it still grants abatements and serve as overseers of the poor, Chadbourne added.

“The thing I enjoy most about being a selectman is meeting and talking to people in town. Since I’ve been a selectman, I’ve always encouraged people to either drop by and see me or telephone if they have a concern, suggestion or just want to talk,” Chadbourne said.

Allen Greene

Allen Greene is a familiar face in the community. He and wife Janice have resided in Woolwich for 32 years.  They live on Old Stage Road.

Greene’s been a member of the Woolwich Planning Board for 15 years, serving as the board’s chairman for the last 10 years. He was serving on the planning board during the construction of the new Cumberland Farms store on Route 1 and also when The Shelter Institute relocated to Woolwich from Bath. 

Greene is also a member and contributor of the Woolwich Historical Society.

“Things have kind of quieted down on the planning board and I wanted to do a little more in the way of public service for the community,” he said about why he took out his nomination papers for selectman.

This is Greene’s first bid at elected office. He is employed as a manager for SUPSHIP at Bath Iron Work. SUPSHIP oversees the operational testing of Navy ships built at the Bath shipyard. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with an engineering degree.

Being on the planning board has been a good experience, he said. “After the Sagadahoc Bridge was completed in August 2000 there was a lot of new development in town, mostly residential but some new commercial development too. Woolwich is kind of unique in that we’re only allowed a limited amount of business development on Route 1,” he said. “We’ve got the industrial park and Woolwich Commons and the other businesses downtown­­ — all of which are important because they contribute to our tax base.

“We’re sometimes referred to as the ‘green space’ between Bath and Wiscasset and some residents I think would like to keep it that way,” he continued.

“We have a Comprehensive Plan that provides some long-term goals for managing growth and development but what I’d like to see is the town office conduct a survey and hold workshops for people to share their feelings for how we should manage the community’s future growth and development.”

Greene believes one of the biggest challenges is keeping property taxes in check while still maintaining services and the community’s quality of life.

He, too, has been regularly attending the meetings of the board of selectmen. Greene said he never misses Woolwich’s annual town meeting.

If elected, Greene hopes to continue promoting responsible growth and development in town while working to keep property taxes in check.

Gary Harvey

Harvey grew up in Bath and attended Bath schools, graduating from Morse High School. He has resided in Woolwich since 1990 on Ambrose Drive off River Road (Rt. 128) with his wife Victoria.

Harvey is a Coast Guard veteran, He served from 1979 to 1983 and was stationed aboard two U.S. Coast Guard vessels, the Sundew and Mesquite, both  180-foot oceangoing buoy tender/ice breakers.

Harvey works at BIW as a material clerk. He serves as the chairman of the Woolwich Republican Committee. This is his first bid at elected office. “You really have no reason to complain about town affairs if you’re not willing to become involved and do something yourself,” he said.

Harvey said he is a strong believer in fairness and transparency in government at every level. He said a select board shouldn’t go behind closed doors to discuss town business unless it’s absolutely necessary. “Opaque” is how he describes the current Woolwich select board. “I’m for taking the smoke off the windows. Conducting the business of the town out in the open.”

The selectmen, he continued, need to listen to other opinions that might differ from their own. “They need to remember that they serve everyone in town and not just the status quo,” he added.

Harvey said he always attends the annual town meeting but there are many people who can’t. “A lot of people are working and can’t afford to take the time off to be there. They don’t get to vote but what happens impacts their property taxes too.” A ballot election would give more people the opportunity to vote because it would allow for absentee balloting, he added.

Harvey also thinks term limits for selectmen and other elected officials might be worth considering. “It gives other people a chance to run for office and share some new ideas. “I’m a Republican, I believe in fiscal responsibility, personal property rights and second amendment rights. I also believe very much in the Constitution of the United States.

“I think I’ve got a good shot at being elected because there are many people in town who feel as I do that a change is needed in our town government,” he added. If elected, Harvey said he might consider setting aside a few hours each week at the town office to hear residents’ concerns. Voters can learn more about him on his Facebook page.