Brewer candidates address tax cap

BREWER – Four of the five candidates vying for seats on the Brewer City Council say cuts to city services and the threat of losing local control are driving them to oppose the Palesky tax cap.

A fifth candidate says he hasn’t made up his mind about Palesky, but says the fact the initiative is on the ballot is proof enough for him to support making tax cuts, both statewide and locally.

The Palesky tax cap proposal seeks to cap property taxes at 1 percent of assessed value or $10 for every $1,000 of a property’s value. For Brewer, it’s projected the city would lose around 50 percent of its property tax revenues.

Tonight, residents can find out more about where the council candidates, and two incumbents vying for another term on local school panels, stand on issues during the annual Brewer Education Association’s “Meet the Candidates Night,” at 7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.

The following is a rundown on where the candidates stand on the Palesky tax cap. Their responses are listed in alphabetical order:

. David Cameron, 36, rebuilds transmissions for a living and has one year of technical college education. He lives at 105 Washington St.: “I don’t know if Palesky is the answer or if it’s something every town should address locally. There needs to be some checks and balances and it’s quite obvious the people of this state are tired of paying the second-highest taxes in the country.”

. Manley DeBeck, 57, is deputy Brewer mayor and assistant manager at Dollar Tree in Brewer. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Husson College and lives at 25 Goupee St.: “The biggest issue we’re facing is Palesky. It could devastate the entire city. I believe we would be the second-hardest-hit city in the state. It would just decimate the services we have. I challenge anyone to sit down with the budget and cut $7 million from it and not cut services or people.”

DeBeck is completing his second term on the council. He is a member of the Brewer Kiwanis Club and is the city’s representative for the Penobscot Valley Council of Governments. For the last two years he has been on the PVCOG budget committee and he also served for 15 years on Brewer High School’s board of trustees.

. Mark Friedman, 52, is a computer support person for a local mental health organization. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State University and lives at 314 Day Road: “It [Palesky] takes away local control – among many other things it will do to municipalities.”

Friedman formerly served on the Brewer Planning Board for 10 years and with the city’s conservation commission. He was appointed to the regional division of the American Water Resource Association and also served as a trustee for the Bangor Water District and as an Orono town councilor. He volunteers and supports the Children’s Miracle Network and is a former member of the local Big Brothers and Big Sisters program.

. Jerry Hudson, 53, is a master sergeant with Maine National Air Guard. He has several years of college-level education and lives at 76 Wiswell Road: “I’m going to vote no because I don’t want to give the Legislature the authority to raise property, sales and income taxes. They have not cut spending and that’s why I’m voting no.”

Hudson, who previously served on the council for two terms, is a member of the American Legion and is a former Kiwanis member. He is the chairman of the Brewer Republican Committee and is the co-chair of the local area “Compassion Across America” program.

. Gail Kelly, 54, is state director for U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe and a former Brewer mayor. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Husson College and lives at 20 South Road: “I think the voters need to be aware of the potential backlash that could be created if the Palesky initiative passes. Let’s say it passes and a person’s property taxes are reduced by $1,000 a year. Sounds great doesn’t it? However, that person now won’t have that $1,000 to claim on their income tax as a deduction, they will then be in a higher tax bracket, which means more income tax being paid to the state and federal governments. Where are the savings there? Believe me, it will not be business as usual if this passes – it will be a disaster.”

Kelly has served on the council since 2001 and is president of the Bangor Area Breakfast Rotary and sits on the board of the Maine Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She also serves on the board of Incubator Without Walls, Job Corps Community Relations and the Penobscot Valley Council of Governments. She also volunteers for the Bangor Multiple Sclerosis Walk and the MS 150 Bike Tour.

Also running in the Nov. 2 local election, but unopposed, are high school trustee Tom Gardner, who stepped in to serve on the panel three years ago, and school board Chairman Mark Chambers, who is just completing his second term.