PenBayPilot.com has circulated questions to the two candidates, Gordon Page, I-Owls Head, and Marc Ratner, D-Camden, who are vying for one open seat on the Knox County Commission representing District 3. That seat that is being vacated by Sharyn L. Pohlman. District 3 comprises Camden, Hope, Isle au Haut, Matinicus Isle Plantation, North Haven, Owls Head, Rockport, Vinalhaven the Unorganized Territories of Criehaven and Mussel Ridge Islands.    

The three-member Commission has one other open seat representing District 2: Appleton, Cushing, Friendship, Union, Warren and Washington. Morgan EF Hynd, D-Warren, is running unopposed for that seat.

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.

 My decision to run for Knox County Commission District 3 is based on a number of factors, not the least of which is my belief that I am qualified to work within the current system. More importantly, I have the skills necessary to effect change within systems that need improvement. 

My experience in the municipal, private and nonprofit sectors has provided me with the opportunity to understand how things work within different industries. 

My background includes working as a warehouse worker as a young man, and advancing through the ranks in the frozen seafood industry as a high speed production line manager, and then as director of quality assurance and product integrity at the factory that was then located on the Rockland waterfront. 

Following the closure of that company, I held executive level positions in the broadcast marketing and sales industry, the hospitality and tourism industry, and in rail transportation. 

I served in leadership positions on several nonprofit community boards during those years, followed by my work as the executive director of Rockland's downtown revitalization organization, Rockland Main Street, Inc. 

Additionally, I served two terms on the Owls Head Select Board, with two years as Chair; served five years as a member of the Owls Head Board of Assessors; was a board member for three years on the Owls Head/South Thomaston/Thomaston Cooperative Solid Waste Corporation; am currently a member of the Owls Head Zoning Board of Appeals; and served several years ago on the Owls Head Planning Board, all of which gives me a strong understanding of how local municipal government works. 

Following my retirement from gainful financial employment in 2020, I was recruited on two separate occasions by the board of directors of our region's 750-member Chamber of Commerce to serve as the interim president/CEO of that organization, and in February of this year, I was hired by the current Knox County Board of Commissioners to serve as the Interim County Administrator. 

My time in that role broadened my perspective of county government, and I benefited greatly from the opportunity to work as the senior appointed County employee reporting directly to the Commission. 

I have also served since early 2023 on the Knox County Charter Review Committee, designed to evaluate the County's 20-year-old governing document and to recommend necessary changes and updates. During my time as Interim County Administrator, I was able to observe the many strengths and valuable assets within the County, and to identify opportunities to improve how the County operates. 

That experience alone gives me an advantage over others who have not had the chance to volunteer nor to work within Knox County government. 

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

 One of the strengths in Knox County government is the staff. But like any business or organization, nothing is perfect. 

While the County has many wonderful employees and managers who work every day to provide the best service possible to taxpayers, the County is faced with the reality of an aging workforce, deferred maintenance on County buildings and grounds, continued staffing issues in the E-911 Communications Center, and the unfortunate public perception that there is an absence of leadership, specifically at the County Administrator level. 

The County Administrator is a position required by the County Charter, and since the departure of the former long-time administrator earlier this year, that position has been filled at various times since January by the elected sheriff; by [me] an interim administrator; by a third individual who resigned after just three months; and since August by a task force of County management staff. 

This situation is a burden on an already overworked management team. The fact that two of the three current commissioners are not running for reelection this year means that the commission that will be seated in January 2025 will be missing a great deal of institutional knowledge. 

The remaining commissioner, from District 1, will have served only two years as 2025 begins. And while the introduction of two new commissioners with fresh ideas is certainly valuable, the combined loss of 24 years of commission service — 16 years in District 2 and 8 years in District 3 — will be difficult to replace in the short term. It will be my intention to call on my diverse career experience and my volunteer and municipal community involvement, and my time working for the County and the relationships I built with existing staff and the District 1 commissioner to ensure that the business of the County operates smoothly; to demonstrate that the Commission is fulfilling its obligations stated in the Charter (ARTICLE III, SECTION 1 - "POWERS AND DUTIES); to prioritize the Commission's responsibilities stated in the Charter (ARTICLE III, SECTION 9, - "DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMISSION" - SUBSECTION (a)) requiring that the Commission hire a County Administrator, ensure that all 100 county employees are treated fairly, and closely monitor expenses in order to keep taxes at a reasonable level. 

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)?

In the past few years, the County has done an admirable job providing transparency through its compliance with Maine’s open meeting laws. There are, however, occurrences when elements of County business must be kept confidential to protect the County’s, and by extension the taxpayers', interests, especially when it relates to personnel matters, where an employee’s privacy is a high priority. 

As for continuity, the County is about to begin a new chapter due to the fact that two-thirds of the elected commission will be brand new as of January. 

As for the makeup of Knox County, Isle au Haut was incorporated in 1874 and I cannot speak to why that island is in Knox and not Hancock County, where Stonington is the closest jumping off point, and with scheduled ferry/mailboat service to Isle au Haut. 

Regarding geographical oddities, in addition to the islands, Knox County District 3 is made up of three contiguous mainland towns,Camden, Rockport and Hope, and one non-contiguous mainland town, Owls Head. 

This peculiarity is the result of the Congressional redistricting that occurred following the 2020 census. 

Regardless, the taxpayers of Vinalhaven, North Haven, Matinicus and Isle au Haut, and the unorganized territories of Criehaven and the Mussel Ridge Islands deserve as equal a voice as those of the mainland communities. 

Issues related to transportation to those islands served by the MDOT ferry service and essential air service from the Knox County Regional Airport must not be ignored by County officials.

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

The relationship between County government and local municipal government, being entirely different entities, creates unique challenges and unique opportunities. Neither is subservient to the other, but they must work together to the highest degree possible, and the County needs to do a better job initiating communication with the various towns through routine outreach and check-ins. 

While the County already coordinates an annual program to receive bulk rate pricing for winter sand, salt and heating oil, and which the municipalities can choose to opt in or out, more could be done. 

The County could become involved in the negotiation for the purchase of expensive municipal fire trucks, ambulances and other heavy equipment, or for smaller purchases like office supplies, which could be purchased in quantity. 

And the County should be doing all it can to collaboratively explore with our municipal first responder agencies, particularly Fire and EMS, the potential cost savings and other benefits of consolidation or regionalization.  

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

During the early conversations last year in my time attending Charter Review Committee meetings, I was opposed to increasing the size of the County Commission to five members. It has been a rare event over the past several elections that the race for any of the Commission District seats has fielded more than a single candidate. 

I expressed my concern at the time that it is already difficult to field candidates for three seats. Trying to fill five seats, each being a four year term, will be that much more challenging. 

One of the arguments in favor of an increase in the number of seats was that it would spread the workload out over more representatives, but in my experience in my five years as a select board member in Owls Head, there was little to no interaction between the Select Board and the sitting County Commissioner representing my town. In fact, with one exception, all of my Owls Head business interaction with the County was through the Administrator and other County staff. 

Another argument in favor was that an increase from three to five would make it possible for two commissioners to communicate privately, presumably to help to expedite ideas and proposals to go before the full elected body. 

I was also concerned about the coverage area of the three current districts. Districts 1 and 2 are made up of contiguous municipalities. Currently, District 3 is made up of only three contiguous mainland towns, Camden, Rockport and Hope, one non-contiguous mainland town, Owls Head, and the islands of Isle au Haut, Matinicus, North Haven, Vinalhaven, and the unorganized territories of Criehaven and the Mussel Ridge Islands. 

During the charter review meetings, I was persuaded that the recommendation by the rest of the committee would be five commission districts, which would each contain approximately equal numbers of residents. In turn, I was able to persuade the others to restructure the districts, with the exception of the islands, so that any single representative would cover contiguous municipalities. The islands would eventually be represented by the nearest logical mainland district. 

Ultimately, and legally, no change to the size of the Commission can be made until the completion of the 2030 census and the ensuing congressional redistricting. Even then, any such change would have to be voted on by the residents of Knox County, then ratified by the Maine Legislature and if passed, probably wouldn't go into effect until sometime after the following year. 

This year, there were no registered candidates for District 2. Eventually, someone did register to run as a write-in candidate, which means that there will be no names on the ballot in November for that district. In District 3, because I am a registered Independent, my name did not appear on the primary in June, but it will appear on the November ballot because I took the time to collect the appropriate number of signatures in order to qualify to be on the general election ballot. 

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

Housing is a major issue in the entire state of Maine, and to a large degree, the respective municipalities of Knox County are all working independently to find solutions. There are agencies in the County with the appropriate expertise in this matter that have been working with our local members of the state Legislature and others to find the answers. 

To my knowledge, the County has not been directly approached for guidance or support, but I would certainly be open to having the County explore the prospect of brainstorming ideas and to work with other entities to identify developers and even available County-owned land for this purpose. Exacerbating the situation further are the low numbers of available workers. A concerted effort to grow not only the housing stock but the overall worker population is critical for the future of the entire Knox County region.  

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

The County already provides a high degree of services to the municipalities, not the least of which is the Regional Communications Center that is staffed by professional telecommunicators, our “first” first-responders, who are responsible for receiving 911 emergency calls and subsequently dispatching fire, EMS, and law enforcement personnel county-wide and beyond.

 In addition to that, our Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement protection and highway patrol services to all but four of our municipalities, Camden, Rockport, Thomaston and Rockland, Which have their own municipal police departments. There has long been discussion about how the County could facilitate regionalized, or consolidated, fire suppression services, potentially reducing the overall expense to each town that maintains multiple millions of dollars worth of emergency apparatus – fire trucks and ambulances - in each of those towns. 

Considering the fact that there is already an extraordinary Fire/EMS service related mutual aid system in place throughout the County, a next logical step could be formal consolidation of these services under the County’s jurisdiction.   

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

Taxes and fees are the obvious source of revenue for Knox County, but more emphasis must be placed on exploring state and federal grant opportunities. User fees at the airport should be reviewed annually and an inventory of County real estate must be conducted to ensure that any holdings are reasonable and necessary. 

The current County expense budget is plus or minus $16 million. Further, the County finance department manages additional budget projects in the $1 million to $4 million range from one year to the next, depending on what is happening at the various facilities. 

Existing staff has done a tremendous job holding the line, but it is important that the elected County commissioners maintain a system of checks and balances to ensure compliance with the budget. In my observation and experience working for the County through June of this year, there is no fat in the budget. 

That said, there is merit in reviewing various job functions and departments to explore where consolidation and reductions might be made. 

One possibility is to create an in-house County Attorney position, which might reduce the overall budget costs associated with the long time practice of engaging contract attorneys for even the most routine legal business matters. 

The fact that the County enjoys collective bargaining agreements with four separate labor unions ensures that wages will only climb higher. The challenge is to be sure that everyone earns those wages appropriately and that they perform at optimum levels.

 It is imperative that every employee be held accountable, including the salaried management team, elected commissioners, and departments managed by other elected officials, including the District Attorney, Sheriff, Judge of Probate, and Register of Probate. 

The County is also the custodian of four brick and mortar facilities. These are the 150-year-old courthouse; the 30-plus year old corrections facility; the public safety building that collectively houses the E-911 communications center, the sheriff's office and the Emergency Management Agency; and the Knox County Regional Airport. 

The courthouse and the corrections facility, or jail, are both in need of significant and continuous upkeep and maintenance to keep them viable. The income generated by courthouse lease agreements between the County and State do not adequately cover the full expense to operate the judicial side of the building, which creates unnecessary staff time and energy spent on hair-splitting and turf battles.

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?

Every new hire is a risk. I was a member of the recruitment and hiring committee that made a recommendation to the elected Commissioners for the most recent County Administrator. 

Despite our best efforts to find the right person, things didn’t work out and that individual resigned within three months. What is important is that the entire elected body take an active role in the recruitment and hiring phase, and especially in the ensuing process of training and setting expectations early and often, without micromanaging the situation.   

 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?

Hopefully, we will never again be faced with a situation like the one that precipitated the creation of the American Rescue Plan Act. Among the challenges was that once the money became available, the process was fraught due to the uncertainty of how Covid might continue to impact the world. 

Emotions ran high and people naturally turned into themselves in an effort to protect their personal interests and favorite projects. Ideally, any of this type of funding in the future will not be under the trying circumstances that we all faced at the time.

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

While Knox County certainly has an obligation to its taxpayers to provide the best and most current information through a variety of formats and forums, it is imperative that those same taxpayers take an interest in actively monitoring what is going on in their County, their town and their neighborhood. 

A favorite saying that I often use and that I first heard from an influential friend of mine many years ago is, “The world is run by those who show up”. It is difficult to say this delicately, but elected and appointed officials don’t have the time to spoon feed their constituents, and too often, following months of deliberations and open meetings at which ideas are discussed and decisions are made, people still come out after the fact and ask why they didn’t know what was happening.  

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

 I have an established baseline of Midcoast, statewide and county knowledge and experience, as well as municipal, private and nonprofit and business and board experience to draw on. 

For more than two decades managing businesses in Midcoast Maine, I have always been the front line liaison between the company or organization and their respective regulatory agencies, the media, the elected state offices and legislative bodies and our congressional delegation in Washington. 

Having been a full time resident of Knox County for 42 years, an elected member of the Owls Head Select Board, a member of the County Charter Review Committee, the former Interim County Administrator, a former Knox County firefighter, and that I possess the bonafide statewide, regional and local business credentials to open doors and know who the players are, qualifies me to serve as the next Knox County Commissioner for District 3.