PenBayPilot.com has circulated questions to Knox County Commissioner candidates seeking to serve District 2 and District 3.

Morgan Hynd, D-Warren, is running unopposed for the District 2 seat, which represents Appleton, Cushing, Friendship, Union, Warren and Washington.

Gordon Page, I-Owls Head, and Marc Ratner, D-Camden, are vying for one open seat on the Knox County Commission representing District 3, which comprises Camden, Hope, Isle au Haut, Matinicus Isle Plantation, North Haven, Owls Head, Rockport, Vinalhaven the Unorganized Territories of Criehaven and Mussel Ridge Islands.  

As candidates return their responses, we are posting them on the Pilot's front page, and then they will reside on the Elections 2024 Voter Resource Page, which also includes letters, opinions, stories about state and local referendum questions, and more.

Please provide a short biography of yourself, your reasons for wanting to serve as a county commissioner, and what you will bring to the table to help govern Knox County.   

I am running as a write-in candidate for the Knox County Commissioner District 2 seat, serving Warren, Friendship, Cushing, Union, Appleton, and Washington.   I am a resident of Warren and have lived in Knox County for 14 years.  

I am running for this seat because I have a deep commitment to public service and I have the skills needed to fulfill the duties of this role.  When I learned that no one was running for District 2, it felt like a good opportunity to put those skills to work and to better understand an important part of local government that has a significant impact on people's lives   

From 2018-2023 I served on the RSU 40 School Board working to ensure a high quality public education for the region's students while maintaining a fiscally responsible budget for the taxpayers.   

I served as the Vice Chair of the School Board for three years and as the Chair of the Curriculum Committee for four years. I was also a member of the Facilities and Transportation Committee for five years and the Policy Committee for one year.    

My service on the School Board was an incredible learning experience, particularly regarding the budgeting process. I understand the nuances of managing a large, publicly funded budget, and the responsibility of delivering exceptional services that the community can afford.   

If elected, my experience as a School Board member will inform my role as a Knox County Commissioner, allowing me to hit the ground running, even as I work to learn the ins and outs of County government. I am eager to transfer my knowledge and experience into this new role and to continue serving my community.

In addition to my public service, I am also the Director of the Bingham Program, an endowment held at Tufts Medical Center established in 1932 to promote health and advance medicine in Maine.   

I work in coalition with a broad range of partners, including funders, nonprofit leaders, government and elected officials, policy advocates, and others,  to advance initiatives that aim to improve health in Maine.    I have worked in health philanthropy for 16 years, having previously worked as a Program Officer at the Maine Health Access Foundation, the state's largest health philanthropy.  

I have served on the Board of the Maine Philanthropy Center since 2016 and was the Board Chair for two years ending in December of 2023.    I am also a Steering Committee member for the Children's Oral Health Network of Maine.  The best part of my work is doing it in partnership with others and I will bring this spirit of partnership to my work as a Knox County Commissioner.     

What are the strengths and weaknesses of county government, and Knox County, in particular?   

Maine and other New England states do not have significant county government infrastructure like most other states in the country do.  When the ARPA money was released, much of it was given to County governments because most County governments have public health departments that could direct those dollars to support coordinated Covid response efforts.    

Because we lack that kind of infrastructure in Maine, our counties were not as well prepared to distribute those funds to greatest effect.  The resulting county by county efforts were highly mixed in the degree of their effectiveness.    

One positive outcome was that many counties in Maine built stronger relationships with local community-based nonprofits that could rapidly identify opportunities to deploy the funding in a way that positively impacted the community.    

One example in Knox County was the use of ARPA funds to support the Knox Clinic. This funding will have a long and impactful legacy through the partnership between the County and the Clinic by creating more access to high quality, affordable health care for our residents.       

The American Rescue Plan Act funds gave counties an opportunity to develop better relationships with community-based service providers.  We should encourage strengthening these relationships and seek new opportunities to draw down more federal dollars in partnership with community-based organizations.  This could be an incredibly positive outcome for Knox County.   

What will you do to encourage continuity and transparency for Maine’s second smallest county (and geographically oddest, given the distance to its most outlying island of Isle au Haut)?   

I think the best way to ensure continuity and transparency across the county is for Commissioners to be engaged at the municipal level.  If elected, I will do my best to build relationships with local leaders in the communities I represent to ensure information is being shared in both directions.  Nothing can replace face to face meetings where you get information first-hand.   

How do you plan to collaborate with local municipalities to ensure efficient governance across the county?   

I plan to regularly attend town meetings in the six towns within District 2 to better understand the needs and assets of each municipality.  Decisions at the county level cannot be made without understanding how those decisions will impact all of the municipalities in Knox County.     

Should the county board of commissioners be expanded to include five, or even seven, commissioners instead of three   

Given the wide geographic reaches of our county, it does seem like an expanded board makes sense.  More commissioners means each town will be better represented.     

What could Knox County do to support municipalities in the county in the midst of a housing crisis?   

Each municipality will need to have its own approach to the housing crisis.  Zoning differs from town to town, and the scale of the problem also differs.  However, the County is well positioned to convene a multi-sector coalition that can provide expertise needed to chart a path forward.    

While each town will have an approach unique to their circumstances, the County can help to provide a basic understanding of the opportunities available to all towns and can engage partners who are ready to do their part to alleviate the crisis.  Small towns can't be expected to do this on their own and need the support of the County to build momentum on this critical issue that impacts every other aspect of our economy.   

How do you envision the county supporting emergency services, law enforcement, and other essential services for towns?   

A well-functioning Sheriff's Office is absolutely critical for public safety in Knox County and the Board of Commissioners must do all it can to ensure the Office is well-resourced and has opportunities for professional development.    

Most of the towns in Knox County rely on the Sheriff's department for law enforcement services and we must support that need.    

The Regional Communications Center serves as the backbone for deploying our emergency services and must also have the resources it needs to work well.  Much of this relies on a responsible budget process and supporting high-functioning staff at all levels of county government.   

How do you plan to diversify county revenue streams, and what is your approach to reducing reliance on any one source, especially property taxes?   

As I mentioned above, Maine counties have missed out on federal dollars for years because we don't have the infrastructure needed to accept and deploy those dollars.  That said, I think ARPA opened the door for us to explore new ways to draw down more federal dollars and we should work with our federal delegation, including Chellie Pingree, to find out what's possible.     

What is your strategy for recruiting a qualified county administrator, and how will you ensure their retention by providing the support and resources necessary for long-term success?

The Board of Commissioners needs to be very clear on what kind of leadership is required to do this job well.  They need to agree on what qualities are most important in that leader and they need to recruit based on that consensus.    

I'm a big proponent of professional development opportunities, as well as team building opportunities, and the County needs to include resources to make both possible.    

The right leader needs to feel supported by the Board while also having the autonomy to make decisions to keep the County running.  It's up to the Board of Commissioners to create the kind of environment that will attract high quality candidates to the position.        

 If another ARPA (substantial federal funding) were to arrive at the county level again, how would you wish to see that process evolve? What lessons can be learned from the previous attempt?   

If the County received substantial federal funding again, I would recommend the County convene a multi-sector task force to identify the areas of most need as well as the most strategic areas for investment in our community.  

This would include business, nonprofit, government, education, and social service leaders from all over Knox County.  These decisions can't be made in isolation.  We need the best thinking from all over the County to inform our decisions to ensure we are making the most strategic investments possible.     

How do you envision ensuring more public engagement with county operations, and reaching more citizens about county business?   

The best way to reach the public is to seek out the places where they are already convening.  We can't expect that people with jobs and busy lives will be able to prioritize a 2:00 mid-week meeting so they can stay up to speed on what's happening.    

County Commissioners should seek out opportunities to connect with people in their own towns and communities and be a public presence as much as possible.  Attending community events and town meetings would be a great place to start.     

Free space! Please address any issue or additional thoughts you may have.   

I have many years of experience supporting good governance in both the nonprofit and public sectors.  While I have a lot to learn about county government, I know that the skills I have developed for the last 16 years will serve me well in this role.    I want to do my part for my community, and serving as Knox County Commissioner for District 2 feels like the best way to do that.  I hope I have the opportunity to work for the people of Warren, Union, Washington, Cushing, Friendship, and Appleton.