Business boosters win Rockland council seats

ROCKLAND – Two pro-business candidates were elected Tuesday to the Rockland City Council.

Edward Mazurek and Mark Curtis easily won the two open seats in a field of four candidates. Mazurek garnered 875 votes and Curtis took 794 votes.

Lizzie Dickerson received 508 votes and Roland Knapp gained 465 votes.

Mazurek and Curtis will fill the seats vacated by James Raye and Joe Steinberger.

Raye and Steinberger often were at opposite poles when it came to development issues. Raye was an enthusiastic booster of the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter and tax breaks for the Samoset Resort. Steinberger has favored tough negotiations with developers and opposed the tax breaks for the Samoset.

In interviews and at a candidates forum, Mazurek and Curtis expressed similar views on business. They believe the council should welcome development proposals, but both also said the city should take a role in tailoring growth to avoid conflict with existing neighborhoods.

Their moderate, business-friendly views apparently resonated with voters more than the “slash taxes” platform of Knapp and the environmental, community-building values of Dickerson.

The Committee for a Better Rockland, an informal citizens group that recruited Mazurek and Curtis, raised money to pay for signs, mailings and newspaper advertisements for the candidates.

After the results were in Tuesday night, Mazurek and Curtis answered questions from reporters at the Rockland Recreation Center, which was the city’s only polling place.”We’ll do the best we can,” Mazurek said. He thanked people for turning out in an off-year election.

Curtis said, “I’m grateful for the support I got,” and for the comments, questions and suggestions he received when meeting voters.

George Marks, who ran as a write-in candidate, received fewer than 75 votes, election officials said Tuesday night.

In the election for two seats on the SAD 5 board, incumbent Beth Gerrish was re-elected with 849 votes. She will be joined on the board by William Sternberg, who garnered 710 votes. Sandy Lowe received 626 votes and Leroy Peasly gained 346 votes.