ELIZABETH LEMIERE
To contact: Elizabeth.Lemire@outlook.com
THE BIO:
Hi there! My name is Elizabeth Lemire, but I go by Liz. I’m originally from Connecticut and fell in love with Bar Harbor in 2006 when I first visited, and knew this was the place I wanted to make my long-term home. I worked many different seasonal jobs all over town–as a barista, shop attendant, and boats—up until 2021 when I was lucky enough to be able to become a full-time resident here in Bar Harbor. I now work in town at a healthcare facility as a medical receptionist, and I love being able to support Bar Harbor residents get the care they need right here at home. I have a Bachelor of Science in environmental earth science, and I am currently pursuing a medical assistant license. We have incredible people and natural spaces here in Bar Harbor, and I’m looking forward to serving this community!
THE QUESTIONS!
Why are you running? How does your why for running delve into your bigger life purpose?
I am running for Warrant Committee because I want to see positive change in this community, and what better way to make it then to be a part of it. I have had the opportunity to work both seasonally and full time in this town, which has given me a unique perspective on both sides of the coin. I can see there are pros and cons to issues such as cruise ships, short-term rentals and long-term housing. I hope by running for Warrant Committee, I can help navigate both sides of these hot topics and come to solutions that meet the needs of all parties involved. My “larger” purpose in running for Warrant Committee is to create a positive, communicative and safe community that we all share and thrive within.
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?
I love this question! I absolutely agree that cruise ships, short-term rentals and affordable housing are all front runners in the conversations that we have been having. There are some things that fall into the background. Some of the issues that I would like to bring up are more geared to sustainability and storm hazard mitigation. We also must look at how higher rates of tourism impact the environment both short and long term.
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, the Warrant Committee, the town, and Conners Emerson School Board can work together to lessen the tax implication for the residents?
While I’m not involved in the school project directly, I have watched a number of the Town Council meetings where the school project has been discussed, as well as read some different local articles on what has been going on. Connors Emerson needs to be a safe and secure place for students to learn–our public school is an invaluable part of the community. I’m in support of the bond initiative, but think that we should also do as much to offset the costs of the project through donations and alternative revenue sources in order to ensure the new school is a solution that benefits everyone. The school rebuild an inevitable issue that needs to be addressed—we just have to be creative in the ways that fund it.
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?
There are many things that I am proud of— but one of them is that I managed to move from seasonal living in Bar Harbor to full time employment and living. I have always wanted to live here, but like many others, I struggled finding affordable year-round housing. For years, I bounced around from temporary living situations and different employment to secure a more year-round lifestyle. After two years of looking, I have finally found a place to call home and a fulfilling and continually advancing career! I am very proud that I get the opportunity to work for a local healthcare facility, as it gives me that chance to work with all kinds of people on the island and people traveling here from all around the world. Through the clinic, there are volunteer opportunities, public outreach and the chance to get to know residents from across MDI. I am also incredibly proud to be one of many young people in Bar Harbor working to be more involved in town politics and decision-making.
The Warrant Committee considers, investigates and reports on all of the election warrant articles except for the candidates for Town Meeting. What particular skills do you have that you think will help you perform that role?
With a degree in science, much of my background is in research. As a data driven person, I have spent a considerable amount of time learning how discern credible versus un-credible sources. I have also had a lot of experience with geographical information systems, excel, and other technological applications that could provide the committee and community some new, useful ways of interpreting and visualizing critical information.
What’s a question that I should be asking you that I’m not asking? Feel free to answer it if you’d like to!
My question that I would ask is “why is there an abundance of younger people running for office and how can that positively affect town government?”
My answer to this would be because we want to feel more represented in the decisions that are being made for and about us. I think that the younger generation communicate more openly about the realities of the hardships we face. We need more people in local government who are willing to tackle the hard problems we face head on and with transparency, for example, by using social media and other accessible forms of communication that allows information to be broken down and disseminated to a wider public. I think with a more balanced group of individuals running for Town Council and Warrant Committee it can bring more diversified opinions and ideas, hopefully that can provide more angles to solve our community’s concerns.