5 candidates vie for 2 Hermon council seats

Five candidates for a pair of Town Council seats in Hermon will be decided today during the town’s annual elections.

The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hermon Municipal Building.

Here are some brief glimpses of the five candidates:

Anne Freeman

Freeman is seeking her third consecutive term on the council.

After helping the town grow for the past six years, Freeman hopes to stick around for three more years to help control the town’s finances, and also try to help implement a curbside recycling program.

Hermon’s growth is another important issue.

“I’d like to see Hermon become a user-friendly town,” she said.

Freeman Frost

Frost has two big concerns.

First and foremost for the owner of Frost Farms is the town’s comprehensive plan, which stipulates that some land be stipulated no-growth areas and could limit people, like himself, from selling his land for growth purposes.

The town’s new high school also has him concerned because he fears that the town might end up spending too much money to educate the children of Levant and Carmel, who also can go to Hermon High School, but do not pay property taxes.

Troy Richardson

The 25-year-old Richardson is a newcomer to the local political scene.

He says, “I want to learn. I want to help this town.”

The graduate of Beal College in Bangor, who also owns his own landscaping business, said keeping taxes low is a main concern.

He also wants to keep an eye on the new Hermon High School, which he said should attract people to the town.

John Maynard

Maynard says his business sense could help Hermon as it looks to the future.

The senior adjuster with Maine Employers Mutual said the town must attract more businesses to the area to help keep taxes lower.

Finding the balance between growing, yet remaining a small community, was important to him.

John Page

A 22-year veteran with the Brewer Police Department, Page is a lifelong resident of Hermon who has always been in tune with public service.

He is seeking re-election after spending two consecutive terms on the town council, and like the others seeking re-election in Hermon, wants to continue to help the town adapt to the changes it is going through.

He is married and has two adult children and a teen-age son.