A Milford School Committee seat was decided by just seven votes during its most recent election.
Not by a margin of seven, but by a total of seven.
Morgan Gunnell was elected to the Milford School Committee that oversees the Dr. Lewis S. Libby School, Milford’s K-8 school, on June 10 with seven write-in votes. The seat was previously held by Brianna Bryant, who did not run for reelection.
In a town of 2,138 registered voters, no one took out papers or received the 25 signatures required to be put on the ballot.
Gunnell, who has been a Milford firefighter for more than seven years, said he didn’t campaign or think about the possibility of being elected until voting day, when someone at the station told Gunnell they wrote his name down.
“I wrote my name in as a joke. Kind of like how people write in Mickey Mouse for the president sometimes,” Gunnell said.
By the time vote tallying was finished, the joke was up. Gunnell had won and said he would take the position seriously. He was one of 16 residents across Milford to receive at least one write-in vote from the 107 voters that showed up to the polls. The runner-up received five votes.
Low civic engagement is not just a Milford problem but an issue across Maine. Time commitments and backlash during meetings and on social media have pushed residents away from running, multiple town officials said. And if a candidate isn’t on the ballot and doesn’t campaign, the community may not know much about them beforehand.
In 2015, Gunnell pleaded guilty to an assault charge after a grand jury found that he knowingly or recklessly caused bodily injury or offensive physical contact to his son who was less than a year old at the time, according to court records. Gunnell entered an Alford plea, meaning he maintained that he was innocent but acknowledged that the prosecution had enough evidence to convict him.
The Bangor Daily News interviewed multiple people who said they didn’t know about Gunnell’s conviction until after he was elected. Milford Town Manager David Dionne said he recently learned about it, but didn’t have any concerns because Gunnell has been a good employee and resident. Others shared Dionne’s sentiment that Gunnell was easy to work with and a good person to have around.
Despite the conviction, Gunnell said he’s built up trust in Milford by working as a first responder and doesn’t see why people would be uncomfortable with him serving on the School Committee.
“I don’t think there’s any reason that anyone can’t trust me. They can choose whether they want to or not. But I stand on my service to the town. What they’re uncomfortable with is whatever they may be uncomfortable with. They can make that decision on their own,” Gunnell said.
Dionne added that he didn’t know if Gunnell’s past would have come up even if he had campaigned.
“I think that [information] comes out more at the federal level with politics. I mean, that was 10 years ago,” he said.
Regardless, the member whose seat Gunnell filled said having anyone elected with less than 10 votes should make the community weary of how they will effectively represent everyone.
“No matter who it is, I’m concerned about them being the voice of our community,” said Bryant, who said she couldn’t run in this election because of personal reasons but would run in the future.
There have previously been empty ballots to fill seats on the School Committee, committee member Mike Hildreth said, but he still wants to see more engagement in elections and at meetings.
“It would be nice if people did run and showed more interest in it,” Hildreth said.
There are multiple reasons for why someone wouldn’t want to run for a School Committee seat, Hildreth said. For example, working on a budget or policy initiatives takes time that not everyone has, especially people who have kids or jobs without flexible schedules.
Another concern is the community’s interaction with their representatives.
The Select Board and School Committee have been working through a lengthy budget process this year. The town budget was approved after two town votes and the school budget is still seeking approval in an upcoming third vote.
At the second town vote on July 8, residents argued, debated and yelled at members of the Select Board and the School Committee. Although the moderator stopped much of the hostility, Hildreth said the feedback is constant and amplified by social media, despite critics choosing not to run.
“It’s today’s culture. People show up to pretty much criticize what you’re doing, but they aren’t willing to throw their hat in the ring when the time comes,” he said.
Select Board Chair Nick Higgins had similar sentiments. Residents will “chastise” officials when they’re trying to do their best at the job they were elected to do, he said.
Milford’s Facebook group was particularly active during the most recent budget votes. Multiple users called out select board members, school committee members and school officials because of the proposed budget.
Dionne said he’s even seen member’s decisions affect their personal lives. For example, if a select board member owns a business, it can affect their company.
“I’ve seen business owners get hurt because there’s a perception that they’ve done something wrong,” he said.
Nevertheless, Hildreth said that the School Committee works together to improve the school, no matter the community reaction or time it takes.
“We try to do what’s best for the town, what’s best for the school, what’s best for the kids and what’s best for the taxpayers,” he said. “It’s not one person. You can’t be making self-centered decisions.”
