BRYCE LAMBERT
Town Council Candidate
Bryce’s Bio
My name is Bryce Lambert and I grew up here on the island. My primary residence growing up was in Somesville, though I spent summers living with my dad on Ledgelawn. I have spent, with exception of a few winters, my entire adult life working in Bar Harbor. I’ve worked nearly everywhere in this town: from the Criterion Theatre, selling popcorn to the Fish House Grill and Miguel’s, washing dishes, to Improv Acadia and Leary’s Landing waiting tables and many others over the last twenty-some years. I’m also quite active in the community; I host karaoke during the summer and Trivia during the winter, as well as being a part of the Criterion’s shadow cast troupe.
QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES
Why are you running?
I am running because there is a lack of representation for young people and renters on the council. I feel that as someone that works directly in the industry that brings people to our town and someone who is still having to rent here, I have a unique perspective to bring to the table.
We asked this last year, but I think it’s really important to ask again. Do you have any ideas for increasing revenue to the town and alleviating the tax burden on property owners? Do you have any ideas for decreasing expenses?
This is still an area of town government that I’m learning more about, but it’s clear that the growing local tax burden is harming the year round community. Bar Harbor only has 5,000 residents, but our local budget reflects the level of service needed to sustain millions of visitors every year, not just our community’s schools and other infrastructure. That just can’t all fall on the backs of our year round residents.
We do have some alternative areas of revenue besides property taxes — from cruise ships and parking — but that aren’t able to be put into the put into the essential, year round infrastructure and services that would support the entire town population. Some people talk about the cruise ships as if they are the worst thing to happen to Bar Harbor, but I can’t say they are; what I can say is that they are only helping a small portion of our community. People in my industry love them because they help their (and my) bottom line, but the town itself doesn’t benefit from them as much as we could from a diversified local economy. We need to understand that on the whole the cruise industry doesn’t currently benefit citizens that live and/or outside of the village of Bar Harbor. We could change that.
What skills do you bring to the table?
I like to think I am an effective communicator and good listener, especially when it comes to hearing out potential constituents and possible colleagues about issues they care about.
What is it about Bar Harbor that you love?
The community itself. We can be very tight knit sometimes, but we continue to welcome in new folks.
What do you think is the most important issue facing Bar Harbor? What are some things that you feel like the town should be focusing on, but isn’t?
I think that the most important issue right now is the sustainability of the year round community. It feels nearly impossible for the residents that are already here to maintain their residences, let alone young people that want to move here to get started.
Something to help with that may be financial incentives, specifically for people that have land to develop, to turn that land into multiple, year round dwellings — not just employee housing or vacation homes. Now that we have a new comprehensive plan, we need to seriously consider how rezoning can accommodate that kind of housing.
What have you done for yourself that you’re the most proud of? What have you done for the community that you’re the most proud of?
My answer for these two questions is the same: I’ve failed. As some may know, I was asked to bring a local staple business, Improv Acadia, back after COVID restrictions were lifted in 2022. I was naive and hopeful enough that I thought I could come back with an entirely changed model, with an overhead that was honestly insane compared to the old model, and that that would work. I spent every penny I had, and many I didn’t, just to break zero. But with that failure I realized I had tried. I had done my best, and what I was trying to do was bring something worthwhile to my community. Not a lot of people can say that. I’m proud of that.