Cosmo Nims
Three-year council candidate
Cosmo Nims
THE BIO:
Cosmo was born in San Francisco, CA, and grew up in Novato, CA. He attended college at California Institute of the Arts where he studied music composition, after which he moved to Brooklyn, NY, where he worked primarily as a bassist, songwriter, and bartender. Cosmo moved to Maine in 2016 and has lived here year-round since. In that time, he has continued his work as a bartender, composer, and songwriter. In his spare time he enjoys backpacking, kayaking, and reading too many books at once.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosmoforbarharbor/
THE QUESTIONS:
Why do you think so many people are running this year?
I can’t speak to the heartfelt motives of everyone running this year, but I do find it inspiring that so many people feel the call to civic duty. I think that in our modern economy where the cost of housing, food, and basic resources is surging, people will naturally take a look around and wonder if they could be doing something to help alleviate the burden on their neighbors, families, and friends.
Why are you running? How does your why for running delve into your bigger life purpose?
I am running for Town Council because I know so many people in this town that don’t feel like they are being represented, and I would like for them to have a voice in how this community evolves and grows in the coming years. As to how it delves into my larger life purpose, I am an ardent supporter of the notion that one should do what they can to amplify the voices of those that struggle quietly, or are being left out of the conversation. My goal through this election is to bring to voice issues that affect a disenfranchised group of voters.
How would you try to create more trust between people not on town boards/committees and those who are?
I think one of the most effective ways we could create more trust would be to make the town’s public meetings more accessible. A lot of people are simply unable to donate four to five hours of their time on a weeknight to participate in the most publicly available avenues of discussion: the Town Council meeting. I think that imposing time limits on this basic function of our town’s democracy would allow far more people to feel like they can participate in the ongoing governance of our community. Beyond that, there is certainly more work that can be done. Individual councilpersons holding casual, public forums in community gathering spaces to gauge where the Town Council is lacking and what the community needs can be incredibly effective in addressing issues in a proactive way and is something I would love to coordinate, and host were I elected as a councilman.
The last year or so the news has been full of cruise ships, short-term rentals, and affordable housing. This isn’t saying that those aren’t all tremendously important, but what are some of the things that we might not be focusing on as a town that needs to be focused on instead?
Thank you for asking this question! I would absolutely love to look at our potential to roll out fiber-optic connections for Bar Harbor. This might sound like a trite issue, but fast and reliable internet connectivity has already become a major necessity for both remote workers and at-home consumers. These are implementations that could be fully paid for by the federal government and I’d like to not see that money just sit on the table. On top of that, there are federal grants that we can explore to build a solar array that could provide a significant portion of the town’s power. We should be looking toward expanding our relationships with state and federal agencies that can provide us with the support to truly do great things in a modern and ecologically sound way.
Do you have any ideas for increasing revenue to the town and alleviating the tax burden on property owners, ideas that don’t involve property taxes?
Sure! I think that there are a lot of potential revenue streams that can be explored. One that has been in public conversation of late is the Local Option Tax, and I’m very curious to hear how Bar Harbor residents feel about the possibility of implementing that. Two other avenues I would be interested in looking into are how much we charge for the waste disposal of the many resorts and hotels that service the visitors of our island, and federal and state grants and project money that could be utilized for specific improvement and infrastructure goals.
There’s a school bond on the ballot and a school that’s in dire need of repair. How have you educated yourself on the potential reconstruction of the school and what are your thoughts on how the council and school board can work together to lessen the tax implication for the residents?
Regarding my education on the matter, I have read the literature that is available on the reconstruction of Connors Emerson, but I am very much looking forward to talking with parents, faculty, and administrators as we lead up to the election so I can gleam a more in-depth look into what the needs of our students are and how we can best support them. With the exciting news out of Augusta that our parking meters can now pay for more revitalization work, I look forward to using that as well as the revenue streams outlined in the previous question to keep taxes at an agreeable rate.
As a follow-up to that, how do you prioritize education for Bar Harbor students and in what way do you see that the school does or doesn’t fit into a future, healthy community?
This is a very interesting question to me. At my core I believe that education is one of the wisest investments that any community can make. A burgeoning generation is best supported by access to clean, nurturing, and well-rounded education. The unfortunate reality is that Bar Harbor is quickly becoming a town that is harder and harder for low-income and middle-class families to exist in. And thus, the hydra rears its ugly head: affordable year-round housing. Anyone who has spent time on one of our local Facebook groups dedicated to finding housing has surely seen the rise of posts submitted by parents and guardians desperate to find any form of stable housing for themselves and their families. I fully support education in our community (and all communities!), but we must look at what we can do to nurture an environment where families can actually afford to put down roots here and take advantage of the educational infrastructure that we strive to build.
What skills do you bring to the table that you think other candidates might not bring?
I would honestly say that a skill that I like to see from public servants that I possess is a healthy amount of self-reflection and, dare I say, doubt. Anytime I must make a difficult or big decision, I never go into it thinking I know exactly what I’m doing or what needs to be done. While I may have an intuitive idea of how I would like things to be done, my first serious thoughts are always “Okay, but what if I’m wrong? Can I explore other options and gauge how viable or beneficial they may be, even if they contradict my gut reaction? Who can I talk to that might provide a useful perspective I haven’t thought of before?” I think it’s imperative that stewards of local government be able to question themselves, and why they fight for the things they do. I believe that if one can effectively self-audit the legitimacy of their beliefs and values, then they stand to make stronger choices and decisions that benefit more people.
What’s a question that I should be asking you that I’m not asking?
“Why does no one talk about the disparity of infrastructure between downtown Bar Harbor and the rest of equally valid Bar Harbor?”
As a longtime resident of Town Hill, this is the question I would ask. And, while this doesn’t pertain to town politics directly, I would like to add that I fully support the utilization of a consumer owned energy provider like Pine Tree Power.
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?
I think that the proudest accomplishment of my life is that despite where I live, I have been able to garner and nourish deep and meaningful friendships, ties to community, and a nurturing social group. To have the support and love of people you respect and admire is a great honor to me.
As for what I’ve done for our community I’m most proud of, I’d have to say running for Town Council. I don’t know how this election will turn out, but if I can nudge the needle in the right direction through forums and debates regarding climate activism, housing insecurity, education, and modernization of our communications network, then it’ll have all been worth it. I look forward to discussing all these issues and what’s on the voters’ minds through the election.