MEXICO – Oxford County Commissioner Fred Kennard of Rumford has announced he will seek re-election to the District 2 seat.

A native of Mexico and graduate of Mexico High School, he has lived in Rumford for 42 years and was employed for more than 40 years in the Rumford paper mill.

He was appointed county commissioner in 1994 after the death of Commissioner Reginald “Butch” Guay.

Kennard said issues of particular concern will be retaining trained personnel in law enforcement and dispatch, exploring creative solutions with neighboring counties to the chronic shortage of beds at the jail, balancing budget priorities, and deciding the future of the Oxford County Regional Airport.

Kennard said he thinks his decade of commission experience will serve the residents of District 2 well and that it is important to have a political balance on the three-member board.

Kennard previously served as a selectman in Rumford, chairing the board for four years, and has served on the Maine County Commissioners Board. He represents Oxford County on the Workforce Investment Board, and is a trustee and treasurer of the Rumford Water District. He is a member of the Rumford and Oxford County Democratic committees.

Kennard said he thinks his background in municipal government is a valuable asset to the County Commission, as are his deep roots in the River Valley area.

“A lifetime in the Rumford/Mexico area has given me a deep appreciation of the hard-working people of this region, and serving my neighbors on the County Commission is an honor,” Kennard stated.

The district includes the towns of Gilead, Newry, Andover, Upton, Byron, Roxbury, Rumford, Mexico, Dixfield, Peru, Canton and Sumner; Hartford, Lincoln and Magalloway plantations; and Milton Township.

Kennard is married to the former Carolyn Cummings, and they are the parents of two grown daughters.

Kennard may be contacted at 364-8891.