March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Six running to gain one seat as District 1 county commissioner

SKOWHEGAN — Six Somerset County people have announced their candidacy for the District 1 county commissioner’s seat being vacated this year with the retirement of veteran Commissioner Gerald Strickland. District 1 encompasses 23 towns, territories and plantations.

Strickland has served as a commissioner since 1980.

Three of the candidates are Republicans and three are Democrats, which will force a June 4 primary.

Candidates are Democrats Dorothy Rotondi-Canelli of Embden; Robert Garland Sr., Anson; Elvin Hawes, Moscow; and Republicans Ralph Withee, Anson; Robert Dunphy Jr., Embden; and Doug Thomas, Ripley.

A brief look at the background of the three Democratic candidates reveals a combination of nearly 80 years of political service among them.

Dorothy Rotundi-Canelli from Embden served 13 years in the state Legislature. Elvin Hawes, a log broker, spent the past 17 years serving Moscow as a selectman. Robert Garland was Anson’s selectman for 48 years.

Rotundi-Canelli was forced to leave the Legislature because of term limit legislation. During her seven terms in Augusta, Rotondi-Canelli said she, represented many of the towns in District 1, including Embden, Starks, Palmyra and Jackman.

“I loved my job in the Legislature and I was looking for another opportunity to serve people,” Rotondi-Canelli said Wednesday. “I saw this as a good opportunity.

“The Legislature used to be very involved with the county budget. I have a good knowledge of the budget and the way it works,” she said, which she feels will provide invaluable experience.

Hawes said his priorities would include county roads and a study on construction of a new county jail. “For years we had the same roster of commissioners. When two decided they would retire, I felt it was an opportunity to serve. I’ve been thinking for two or three years of doing something different,” he said.

Hawes said he would like to create a study committee to look into building a new county jail. “That jail facility right now would be a fairly good place for a juvenile center, which we need badly,” said Hawes. Any new facility, he said, should be built outside of town, not in the center like the current jail. “A new one should be built in a few years and we need to begin studying that now,” he said.

Garland said that during his 48 years in local government as Anson’s selectman, he kept an interest in and an eye on all forms of government. “I’ve always been concerned about the rural areas. County government means so much to rural communities. Most of our area is rural. In fact, in District 1, none of the towns have an organized police department,” he said.

The three Republican candidates have also racked up many years of political experience.

Robert Dunphy Jr. is a lifelong resident of Embden and was a selectman for nine years. He is married, has three children and works for a local trucking company. Dunphy says he believes that the small towns should be receiving more services from county government.

He cites a countywide coalition for bulk buying as one service the county should provide. He also says that the county should be offering training and workshops for newly elected town officials and provide financial advice.

One of Dunphy’s priorities would be to “bring the commissioners to the people.”

“In the past, if you wanted to see the county commissioners, you had to go to them. They didn’t come to you. I am a firm believer that you go to the people,” said Dunphy.

Doug Thomas of Ripley served three years as a selectman and one year on the Somerset County Budget Committee. His is married with two children and is a self-employed trucker.

“As a selectman, I’ve seen the county budget grow and grow. I think it can’t continue to grow at this rate. The figures that I have show that it has almost tripled in the last decade. We can’t allow it to triple in the next decade,” said Thomas.

Ralph Withee of Anson is in his 10th year as selectman. His political experience includes nine years as a director of the Madison-Anson Sanitary District, past president of Madison-Anson Chamber of Commerce, current chairman of the Somerset County Budget Committee, past president of the Somerset County Municipal Association, 18 years as a volunteer firefighter, and is a member of the Somerset County Long Range Planning Committee.

Withee is married and has four grown children. He is an independent insurance agent.

“I am very involved in my community and in the county,” said Withee. His work often takes him to remote county towns, so Withee says, “I know the people and they know me.

“I believe in county government and I believe we have a good one in place. I’m not out to criticize anyone or anything but to just keep things running smoothly and provide good service for the county,” said Withee.

In District 2, two Norridgewock men, Zane Libby, a Democrat, and Winston Ford, a Republican, are challenging each other for the seat vacated by former Chairman Charles Carpenter.


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