An arborist, a real estate agent, a former city employee and two businessmen are competing for two available seats on the Ellsworth City Council.
One of the businessmen, Steve O’Halloran, is an incumbent councilor who has served on the 7-seat board for the past three years. The other businessman, John Linnehan, has run several times for public office and has at times clashed with public officials — including an argument he had with two councilors at the most recent council meeting.
The other candidates are newcomers to politics, running for public office for the first time. Rob McKenney has been a local real estate agent for 35 years. Cale Roberts, who now works for a local solid waste disposal company, was employed by the city for seven years in various jobs. Tabatha White is an arborist who runs her own landscaping and consulting business.
At least one new councilor will be elected to replace Casey Hanson, a physician who has served on the board the past three years and is not seeking re-election.
There is also a ballot question that will ask Ellsworth voters whether they support allowing retail recreational marijuana stores in the city. The outcome is expected to determine, for at least the near future, whether the city will develop regulations allowing such shops and related marijuana businesses.
Early voting has begun at City Hall during business hours. The final day of voting will be Nov. 5, when polls will open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
All five council candidates have cited increasing city taxes, the demand for housing, and business development among issues they want to address if elected.
All candidates have said that more affordable and middle-income housing is needed in Ellsworth for the area economy to grow.
Linnehan — who in 2019 settled with the state after the attorney general’s office accused his home leasing and sales business of misleading customers — said last week at a candidates’ forum that “too much government involvement” and “excessive regulation” are to blame for the area housing crisis.
“I’m a free-enterprise and capitalist person,” Linnehan said. “I believe businesses will best provide the answer. Let the free market take care of itself.”
Linnehan also said the city’s demographics have “changed drastically” over recent decades and that the council now mostly has “liberal, socialist values.”
Linnehan frequently says he wants to reduce city taxes and spending across the board, and that the city can reduce the size of its staff — though he did say at the candidates’ forum that he would support the creation of a city parks and recreation department. McKenney is the only candidate who has said the city should not create a parks and recreation department.
White said the city can save money if it works more with nonprofit organizations to help offer services to local residents. Roberts said that city taxes are high and, though he does not have specific cuts in mind, the city might be able to find ways to reduce the school budget without cutting staff.
McKenney and O’Halloran said they want to find ways to reduce spending and — to help boost economic development on the Myrick Street commercial corridor — to eliminate development impact fees in that neighborhood. Those impact fees are preventing further economic development along Myrick Street, where land was cleared and Home Depot and Walmart were built 20 years ago, they said.
All candidates have said that continuing economic development in the city can help boost investment and overall tax revenue without raising taxes for individual property owners.
Some candidates cited specific issues they think the city should try to address, though they did not provide details on how the city would do so.
Roberts said Ellsworth could benefit economically if it became “a college town” or built a paid parking garage.
White cited traffic congestion as a concern, and said the city should be proactive in preserving green space and protecting the environment. She also said she supports allowing, within limits, recreational marijuana sales in the city.
McKenney also said he supports allowing recreational marijuana sales in the city, but added that the city should do what it can to reduce homelessness and drug addiction. He said the city should host an annual fair, similar to fairs in Blue Hill and Bangor, to help benefit local businesses.
Linnehan said he is opposed to allowing recreational marijuana sales in the city because he thinks it can lead to “more dangerous drug use and addictions.”
When asked the same question, O’Halloran said he “believes in the free market system,” while Roberts cited the city’s motto of “Business, Leisure, Life” without providing a direct answer.
