House candidates’ debate
By Elizabeth Prata Salvetti

On October 8, candidates running for the Maine State House seat in District 41 (Gray and part of New Gloucester) debated local and state-wide issues in front of a live audience in Gray’s Stimson Hall. The debate was broadcast live on Gray Cable Channel 2 and underwritten by The Monument Newspaper.

Richard Barter (D) and Susan Austin (R) are seeking election to the seat vacated by retiring incumbent Clifton Foster (R) of Gray. Both Barter and Austin live in Gray and both happen to be currently serving on the Gray town Council.

Moderator Brad Fogg asked each candidate to describe their biography. Austin said she has been a life-long resident of Gray, living here with her husband of 32 years, Ernest, and raising her four children. For the past 10 years she has worked as the ergonomics and safety trainer at Marden’s of Gray. She has served as a Director on the SAD #15 School Board from 1984-1997, was appointed by Governor king to serve on the Pineland Conversion Commission, and currently holds elected office as a Councilor. Her activities include working on the Opportunity Farm for Girls project, a liaison to the School Board, a Council of Governments designate, and is on the St. Gregory’s Board of Trustees.

Barter said that his roots in the community were deep and permanent. His wife, Pat, is a third generation Gray resident and he himself attended Pennell Institute, Maine Maritime Academy and the University of Maine, as well as earning two other degrees and going to Law School. He spent 35 years as a University Administrator and Head of School in Maryland, New York City, and Cleveland. He was a consultant to the legislature during the creation of the Sinclair Law. For 25 years he started, built, and owned businesses in Gray and currently operates four. He is on the Gray Town Council and has served on several Town committees.

Health care, tax reform, casino gambling, creating a business friendly climate in Maine were some of the topics covered during the 75 minute debate.

Property taxes have continued to rise over the years, and one issue is how property values are assessed. Fogg asked what steps they would take to reform property tax assessment procedures in Maine. Austin said the present property tax system is based on market value and designed to promote growth. Now most areas in Southern Maine are struggling to cope with sprawl and accelerating growth. Austin said she would support an initiative that assessed land based on use rather than value. She outlined three current land-use based laws in Maine that are working, the Tree growth law, Open Space, and Farmland. At the local level., she said that she would reform a property assessment cap for the elderly, primary residents, based on tax year in which the head of the household turned 65.

Barter responded that the three examples Austin mentioned are fine but he didn’t see how they paralleled the complexity of the type of assessment that one would have to make when looking at different comparisons of valuations in property. He said that the critical issue is really the burden that the legislature has imposed on local residents through neglect, while not generating revenues necessary to provide essential goods and services. He said that the state should look at all forms of revenues and urged the state to mind their responsibility and not continue to perpetuate the burden on homeowners. He said the State should fund their promised education share of 55% instead of the current 43%. He concluded that with more courage, vision, and wisdom instead of radical reform the legislature can equalize the property tax distribution.

Of the local traffic issue, Fogg said that it is widely believed that the increase in truck traffic on Rt. 100 through Gray and New Gloucester is due to efforts of trucks to avoid the barrier toll in New Gloucester and exiting in favor of traveling the free, local road. He asked what the two would do, if elected, at the State level to help relieve the traffic.

Austin complimented both the Department of Transportation officials and the Maine Turnpike officials in their efforts to work with Gray and New Gloucester on other issues, but advocated for steady, persistent communication between the two and in working to change their mindset that the barrier toll is having no impact. "They both seem to regard the toll as having a non-impact to these towns. Communication is the key, steady, persistent communication to redirect their mindset."

Barter disagreed emphatically with Austin. He said that "We’ve been asleep at the switch and allowed this situation to get out of control. We have not had the leadership, or forceful discourse at the proper time and continue to be whiplashed by the political bureaucracy between the DOT and MTA. He said that muscle needs to be put into a united front and that would force people responsible for these decisions to be accountable for them." He said, for example, that the rebuild of Rt. 26 in New Gloucester stops at the Gray line because it was a political decision did not include a Gray component because the leadership at the local level was had no clout. He advocated for forceful discourse rather than communication.

Fogg asked Austin and Barter that if elected, whether they will surrender their seat on the Gray Town Council. Barter replied, "Absolutely not." His desire to run is based on his desire to problem solve. "My commitment is not to a political career but to serve." He felt he could serve both.

Austin said that if the people choose her to serve in Augusta, that within a very short amount of time after being elected, she would know whether she could maintain service to both with full accountability to the people. She would make her decision soon, respecting the budget preparation process, and step aside if the frequency of overlapping scheduled meetings meant that she couldn’t perform her service fully.