WILTON — Irv Faunce of Wilton has announced his candidacy for the District 90 seat in the Maine House of Representatives.

The seat is held by Thomas Saviello, U-Wilton.

A Wilton selectman and former member of the Planning Board, Faunce and his wife, Jan Collins, own and operate the Wilton Blueberry Farm.

“I look forward to providing a strong and positive voice for this legislative district. As a legislator, I will focus on job growth and economic development, support for small business and farming, education and health care,” Faunce said in making the announcement.

“The strong sense of fiscal discipline that has helped us make local government fiscally sound through responsible budgeting will be valuable to my work in Augusta, he said.

“Education has always been a priority for me and the Franklin County Community College Network that we have developed will get my continuing support. I will sponsor legislation that will provide financial aid for county students to attend FCCN and will work against further reductions in rural Maine to general purpose aid to education,” he said.

Faunce is a former Director of Program Operations for Western Maine Community Action and, over the past year, has served as a part-time site manager for 82 High Street, a low- and moderate-income housing community in Farmington.

He is an active member of the Franklin County Municipal Officers Association and has been working with the Franklin County Agricultural Task Force on new development and marketing strategies for the agricultural community.

Faunce serves as chairman of the Development Committee for the Wilton Free Public Library and is vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Mt Blue Cable TV.

In 2008, Gov. John Baldacci selected Faunce to represent the Maine Municipal Association on the State Board of Corrections. The corrections board is charged with creating a statewide, integrated corrections system.

“My seat on this board has allowed me to advocate for the Franklin County Correctional Center and to assure that it develops a positive role in this county and that it is not closed,” he said.

He has previously served on the Maine Board of Environmental Protection and the Maine Human Rights Commission.

In addition to Wilton, District 90 includes Temple, Strong, Phillips, Avon and New Vineyard, and Freeman, Perkins and Washington townships and part of Salem Township.