BREWER, Maine — Two open seats on the Brewer School Committee have attracted six candidates and three people are running for two City Council seats, Assistant City Clerk Pam Ryan said Tuesday.
School board chairwoman Amanda Bost and board member William Birch, who is a sergeant with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, have decided not to run for their seats again during the November local election, she said.
Mark Beal, Mark Chambers, Mark Farley, Kevin Forrest, Dani O’Halloran and Tyler Smith are on the ballot to replace the exiting school board members. Chambers is a member of the Brewer High School district trustees, and Farley is a former school board member who lost his seat during a re-election bid last year.
Mayor Jerry Goss and longtime City Council member Larry Doughty are running for their seats on the council against local mail carrier Matthew Vachon.
Vachon attempted a bid for the council last year, but took second in a four-way battle to then-Mayor Joseph Ferris.
Ruth Marie Spellman, a former school board member, is the lone candidate for the one open Brewer High trustees seat.
The Brewer town council could use some new energy.
The city council should take a hard look at the number of citizens that attend the once a month meeting and take steps to improve interest and participation by voters. These folks have done a pretty good job. However-some like Mr. Doughty have been there for a quarter century. Term limits should be considered in the future.