Trenton Candidates Talk Growth, Housing, and Transparency Ahead of May Town Meeting
Three select board hopefuls share visions for the town’s future as solar vote and Wednesday public hearing loom
TRENTON—The Downeast Chapter of the League of Women Voters held a meet and greet with candidates for the Trenton Select Board, Saturday afternoon.
Three of the five candidates for three seats attended.
Danielle Cole is running unopposed for another three-year term.
There are two open seats because of the resignations of Charles Farley and Daniel Monahan. Both men are moving to other towns. Each seat has a different amount of time remaining in the term.
Farley’s seat is for two years. Judith Sproule and Carol Perreault will both be on the ballot. Sproule attended the Saturday event, which was moderated by the League of Women Voters’ Ann Luther.
Monahan’s term is for one year. Jarrod Rollins and Susan Sargent are both running for that seat and both attended the meet and greet.
Rollins said that he’s a third-generation Mainer who chose Trenton because it’s close to his work at Jackson Laboratory and that he grew up in Central Maine. He’s been the secretary of the town’s parks and recreation committee and helped with Trenton Days last year. He’s keen on establishing trails in the town.
“We’re in the very early planning process of that,” he said and added that his previous experience has helped him make connections with the Hancock County Planning Commission and MaineDOT.
“I came to the realization, honestly, it was after having a kid that the fantastic resources that we have here are only because of the dedication and hard work of the volunteers,” he said.
He talked to Trenton Administrator and Municipal Clerk Carol Walsh years ago, she said that the people who do the best on the select board are the ones that don’t have an agenda. If you have a thing that you want to implement at all costs, then you might not do the job right was her advice, which he said he’s listened to though “trying to keep taxes as low as possible” is an important part of the job.
He thinks the town needs to attract more businesses to help offset property revenue. He’d like a centrally located playground that’s not attached to the school and for the fire department to have its cistern.
“This town means different things to different people and I want to know what that is and work toward a town that works for everyone,” he said.
On Zoom, he was asked about his feelings about short-term rentals.
“Trenton’s population is shrinking. It’s not growing, so that’s concerning. And so if we don’t have the housing, how do we expect our town to grow?” he asked. He said that it’s a tricky situation with many underlying complications.
“There seems to be a correlation between cheap housing and people with disabilities,” he said and that special education is one of the most costly expenses in the school budget.
He said that Dan Monahan’s communication and transparency were torches he’d like to carry.
Sargent said she has lived in Trenton for 34 years and raised three girls who went through the school. She’s worked at the Jackson Laboratory for 24 years and has a business in town, Bill’s Auto. She’s also a past matron of Eastern Star, 4-8 leader, Girl Scout leader, and serves on the town’s board of appeals.
Of all her volunteer experience, much done through the lab, Sargent said laying wreaths on the veterans’ graves prior to Christmas was her favorite activity.
When asked about Trenton’s future, Sargent said that she thinks the town is in a hard position right now. The school budget is impacting taxes.
“There’s no places for people to live so that in effect for families means less kids in the schools,” she said.
Sargent wanted to focus on what the town government can provide for the town people and draw the tourist dollars.
“People need to be listened to. They need to maybe send out some questionnaires, some surveys. Where do we want our town to go? Do we want to be just a suburb? Do we want to grow?” she asked, or does the town want to be a place people bypass on their way to Acadia. She said the town needs to expand services but “our tax base can’t afford anymore.”
She said she’s open to ideas and the select board members need to listen to everyone.
“I have no real agenda,” Sargent said. “I just want to serve.”
On Zoom, she was asked about affordable housing.
“I know we have a decline of students in the schools right now because there’s no affordable housing. There isn’t on the island. And we’re a suburb of the island,” she said. “They have no place to go. They have no place to live. People are working two jobs to just rent or co-housing with people so it is an issue.”
She cited the Lab building housing for its workers and thought there might be similar opportunities for collaborations like that in town.
Rachel Nobel asked about Sargent’s thoughts on the comprehensive plan.
Sargent thought that redoing portions of the plan rather than undertaking it as a major redo and overhaul which she thought was expensive. She’d look at zoning for the town and said, “It would help with the direction of where our town needs to go.”
She thinks there needs to be a lot of community discussions.
Engaging the whole town in public forums is important, she said.
Nobel also asked about climate change and needs. Sargent said she thinks the town is doing okay and said the solar petition showed how much the community was involved.
Judith Sproule, who is running for the two-year seat said that she grew up in Bangor. She grew up in a family that believed in public service.
“We’ve made Trenton our home for 34 years, raised our three kids here,” she said.
She’s currently involved in a project that hopes to develop a strong economy for the region. She’s been on the town’s school committee and part of the regional planning committee.
“Maine is a small town. Everybody has a voice in state government and can have a hand in the benefit,” Sproule said.
She’s been heavily involved in Trenton’s budgets and has a background in business, accounting, and finance.
“So budget work and money management are second nature to me,” she said.
“The will of the people is what governs this town. I’m committed to helping everyone,” work together, she said.
She said that those gathered Saturday have seen issues arise in Trenton and neighboring towns that challenge them, such as large commercial projects. She said the town likely ignores short-term rentals at its peril. She’d like to explore ways to increase revenue to decrease budget demands on residents. And the town also needs to take care of its vulnerable residents, she said.
“You all taking the time to be here tells me that you value our community and we need to be proactive in preserving it,” she said.
Rachel Nobel asked via Zoom about her thoughts on a comprehensive plan for Trenton, looking into it and revamping it.
Sproule said she hoped people would come to the town meeting and vote for it. “I see this as an incredible opportunity to bring people together and to involve as many people as possible over the period.”
She wants the updating process to engage people, make them work together and agree on common goals and come together.
She also said updating the comprehensive plan was important and an opportunity for everyone to come together to determine the future of the town.
Nobel also said that she sees the rising sea level as playing an important future impact to Trenton, which is on a peninsula. Sproule said that working with HCPC and doing a threat assessment of the town and a plan on how to respond to those threats was important. She’s already met with a representative from that organization, she said, about how it can work with the town and provide funding for some of Trenton’s needs.
“We should have our eyes wide open,” Sproule said and utilize all the resources out there.
Voting is at the town office on May 19 between 2-6.
SCHOOL BOARD
There are two open seats for the School Board. Cecilia Zavestoski and Carlene Hanscom have both declared their intention as write-ins. When filling a write-in candidate on the ballot, Luther said, it’s important to both write the name and check the box next to the name for that vote to count.
Curtis Gott and Mikhayla Winger both chose not to run again.
SOLAR UPDATE
Trenton voters will once again have the opportunity to revise the town’s land use ordinance regarding solar energy systems.
The issue appears for the third time on the May 19 ballot.
Neighbors Against More Large Scale Solar, a citizens’ group in Trenton involved in this issue, has been recommending a YES vote on this specific ballot question.
The Trenton Planning Board has no recommendation.
The changes would make it so only accessory-use solar projects would be allowed in all town districts.
”This means that any residence or business could use as many solar panels as necessary to meet their onsite energy needs, but more large scale commercial solar farm projects would no longer be allowed in any districts,” said Christina Heiniger.
The planning board intends to hold a public hearing on the land use ordinance article’s potential changes (LUO Article III & VIII) on Wednesday, May 7 at 7 p.m.
”If this ballot questions fails, the issue will not be resolved, and the solar moratorium will stay in force through the select board’s 180-day extension through June 29,” Heiniger said.
”Since the moratorium was enacted on November 15, 2023, Trenton voters have twice rejected LUO solar ordinance revision proposals from the planning board to allow various sized solar farms of 20-30 acres in various districts in town. This vote will be a litmus test that will show whether these no votes meant voters want no more large scale solar farms in Trenton. A yes win on this vote would prove this to be the case,” Heiniger said.
Town Meeting begins with Elections from 2 – 6 p.m. on Monday, May 19, 2025
at the town office at 59 Oak Point Road. Absentee ballots are currently available and the polls will be open on May 19 from 2-6 pm at the Trenton Town Office.
Open town meeting will continue on May 20, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at
the Trenton Elementary School Gymnasium.
ABOUT THE LEAGUE
According to its website, “The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The league does not endorse any political party or candidate for elective office.”
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