BYRON – David Duguay is making a first bid for a seat on the Oxford County Commission.

Job shadowing state Rep. Randy Hotham and former state Sen. Norm Ferguson in the state Legislature sparked Duguay’s interest in broadening ways to serve the public. He then took a course in state and local government at a nearby college.

“With patience, you can make a difference,” he said.

After that experience, he began his work on the Byron Planning Board and became chairman of the Byron Republican Committee.

With the importance of the county commissioner’s job, Duguay believes his business management skills, as well as his listening and leadership skills, will be real assets to the position.

He is also concerned about the overcrowding at the Oxford County jail, but he does not favor building a new facility. Instead, he wants to do some creative problem-solving and explore any options that may be available. He also believes that this is not the time for small towns with their own police departments to be replaced with coverage by the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department. The county now does virtually all of the dispatching, a task that helps relieve individual towns of additional duties.

Duguay believes the tax-cap proposal, if passed, would have a negative impact on running the county government. If it passes, he said, the commissioners must develop a strategic plan to combat these effects.

He favors collaborative efforts of area towns and organizations, and he wants to make sure District 2 gets its fair share of county services.

“I believe I can give a new perspective, strategic thinking, to the position,” he said.