CHESTERVILLE — Municipal elections will be held 2-8 p.m. Friday, March 18, at the Town Office, 409 Dutch Gap Road. The Town Meeting is 7 p.m. Monday, March 21, at the Town Office.
There are two three-year positions available for the Board of Selectpersons, a one-year seat on that board plus a three-year term for the Regional School Unit 9 Board of Directors to be decided.
Sandra Gilbert-Lord is seeking the one-year seat while incumbent Dorothy “Dee” Robinson is running for the RSU 9 position. Both are unopposed.
Current selectpersons John Archer and Tiffany Estabrook are seeking re-election to their three-year seats. Tim LeSiege who currently holds the one-year position is also seeking a longer term.
The three recently responded to questions regarding their candidacy. Those questions and their answers are below.
Why are you seeking another term?
John Archer is seeking a three-year term on the Chesterville Select Board. Submitted photo
“I am seeking another term on the Chesterville Select Board so that I can help where I can,” Archer said. “I like being involved with the town operations.”
Estabrook said she loves her town. “I enjoy serving our community,” she noted. “We have grown in a good direction and I’d love to continue to be able to be a part of our future. I am an optimist, and I’m still here. I will continue to bring a strong voice to the table, should the citizens want me to be that voice. I have an amazing support system at home and professionally which encourages me to continue to fight the good fight.”
LeSiege said, “After serving the Town for a year, and working to ensure that our road maintenance and salary adjustments be addressed during my 1 year term, I want to be there to follow through. I spearheaded the effort to put a road construction package determined by the Road Foreman and the Highway Committee, out to bid prior to the Town Meeting so that the voters would know exactly what roads were on the list, exactly what treatment is being done and the costs of doing them.
“This was done rather than set a price and determine the work sometime in the summer,” he continued. “Our Highway Committee did a great job doing the roads survey and put a lot of hard work into bringing our data up to date. We know their process worked because it agreed very nicely with a report the Road Foreman did. I’d like to see this process through. I chose to run for a three year seat because a one year seat seems so temporary. I’d like to make that bigger commitment to the Town and complete follow through on what I helped start. I’ve spent more than half my life working to make a difference and I’d like to make a difference in Chesterville.”
What do you consider the most pressing issue(s) facing the town and how would you address it(them)?
“The most pressing issues facing the town, in my opinion, are getting the roads repaired, keeping our equipment safe and operational, improving communications with our committees and boards, and keeping our taxes in check,” Archer said.
Estabrook said, “Finding the balance between necessary growth/change and being fiscally responsible. Increases in spending have to be reasonable and also sustainable.
“Learning that we all want the same thing, what’s best for Chesterville,” she continued. “Just because we all have different views of what that path looks like doesn’t mean that we can’t and shouldn’t have respectful conversations. Redirecting our passion into our efforts to communicate and uplift, together our community can make great things possible.”
“The current board has been working all year on a number of issues that are affecting all of Maine’s cities and towns,” LeSiege replied. “These issues include providing appropriate compensation to attract, hire and keep qualified and quality employees, addressing aging pavements, general road maintenance, and the overall welfare of the Town.
“I have been, and will continue, addressing these issues openly and honestly,” he noted. “No one wants to raise taxes, I understand that. I also understand what happens if any agency or government entity fails to address the issues previously listed. Without proper and competitive wages, one can’t attract qualified employees, and in some cases can’t attract employees period.
“Chesterville is not competing with other small towns for employees, we are competing in a job market that actually encompasses Farmington, Lewiston/Auburn, Waterville/Winslow and Augusta,” Lesiege said. “People ARE willing to drive to these cities for decent wages, it’s a sobering fact of life. With regards to road maintenance and aging pavements, we have been working to educate folks about the need for proper drainage structures and quality road base. Unfortunately the cost of road construction keeps getting higher on the order of almost 10% per year lately, this is due to a number of factors: construction companies are also having a hard time finding quality employees and are now offering premium pay with sign-on bonuses, fuel and materials costs are skyrocketing and, here is the big one, the cost of asphalt is also growing daily.
“I am aware that we can’t fix everything to premium standards, and we certainly can’t fix everything all at once,” LeSiege noted. “What we CAN do is help educate people about the needs of infrastructure and start working to catch up on all the work that needs to be done. We cannot continue kicking the can down the road hoping the prices drop out. Unfortunately this does mean taxes need to go up, it’s a fact of life.
“My goal this past year, and for this upcoming year if elected again, is to make sure our taxpayers have a clear understanding of the needs and a clear understanding of the costs up front and before the Town Meeting so they can make an informed decision,” he continued. “After all, it is the residents who will determine the budget that the elected Select Board has to work within. I believe it is our job, as elected officials, to give them all the information they need to determine their future. Their choice to maintain or lower taxes and let the conditions of the roads continue to deteriorate or raise taxes and start addressing the issues is a very difficult one. This choice is left up to the voters for a reason.”
What qualifications would/do you bring to the position?
In addition to three years on the Select Board, Archer has been a member of Chesterville Fire Department for 34 years, holding many positions from Captain to the Fire Chief. He is currently the Assistant Fire Chief.
Tiffany Estabrook is seeking a three-year term on the Chesterville Select Board. Donna Perry/Sun Journal file photo
Estabrook has served six years on the Selectboard.
“I have served five years on the county budget committee,” she said. “I have countless hours of community service, getting to know all of our neighbors is a blessing. I served with numerous others in a group organized by Tom Saviello, to negotiate at better deal for Mainers for the CMP corridor.
“I have been an advocate for broadband expansion in Chesterville,” she noted. “I was invited to serve on the RSU 9 strategic planning committee. I attended trainings whenever possible. In anything that you do there is always something to learn. My support system at home and professionally allows me to network to “get things done” in the words of a citizen.
“Call me crazy, I have a passion for and love municipal government,” she added.
Tim LeSiege is seeking a three-year term on the Chesterville Select Board.
“I’ve spent the last 32 years volunteering my time with a number of non-profit groups serving in leadership roles for at least 31 years of that,” LeSiege said. “I’ve served as Local Chapter President of the Augusta Area Jaycees for a few years, State President of the Maine Jaycees for a few years, President of the Maine JCI Senate, President of the Spirit of America Foundation and am only the second person from Maine to serve as National Vice President of the US Jaycees.
“I am currently serving as the President of the United Volunteers of Maine and was an organizing and charter member of this organization in 2007,” he noted. “I am also the Director of Maine ACE (Aviation Career Education) Camp South. Beyond my time volunteering, I have worked at Maine DOT since 1989, serving for 15 years as the Photogrammetric and Control Engineer overseeing the staff of that unit, and am in my 16th year as the Aviation Engineer overseeing state and local projects at Maine’s FAA funded GA airports.
“My work involves writing, interpreting and enforcing contractual agreements and overseeing the design and construction of airport pavements, obstruction removal projects, land or easement acquisition,” LeSiege said. “I also work with our airports and our aviation planner to create 5 year capital improvement projects for the GA airports (27 of them) and for statewide projects. I believe I can bring professional knowledge (from my work life) and my leadership skills to help guide the Town to a great future with the other Select Board members, the various town committees and residents.”
Please share a bit about you, your family and how long you have lived in Chesterville.
“I have been married to my wife for 41 years, have 3 children and 3 grandsons,” Archer said. “I have lived in Chesterville all my life, grew up working on my family’s dairy farm. Currently I am working at Lifemade (formally Jarden’s) in East Wilton as a mold technician.”
Archer is a member of the Chesterville Historical Society.
“My hobbies include hunting, bowling and gardening,” he noted. “I have been the President of the Franklin County Bowling Association for 18 years, a delegate to the Maine State Bowling Association for many years and currently serving as their Vice President.”
Estabrook was born and raised in Farmington.
“My family has lived in Farmington for at least five generations that I know of,” she said. “I left for college, returned home to care for my grandmother, worked at Wizbe Cafe (now Java Joes). Spent seven years at Farmington Farmers Union where I met and formed many life long friendships. Started my own family.
“My husband and I moved to “Mrs Decker’s House” in 2009-10,” Estabrook said. “Proud mom of 4 boys: 20, 15, eight, and six.
“I am a huge sports fan, football is my first love. Thanks to coach Bessey basketball is a close second. I love horses and horseback riding/showing. I love animals in general. Love the outdoors, camping, fishing, 4 wheeling, kayaking. Good thing I’m a boy mom with those interests!”
She also enjoys traveling when she can, knitting, playing cards, and yard sales.
LeSiege has lived in Maine since about 1967, is a 1984 graduate of Greely High School and has a Bachelors of Science in Surveying Engineering from UMaine-Orono (1988).
“I worked in land surveying during my time at Orono doing boundary surveys, deed research, title searches and updating tax maps,” he noted. “Since graduation from UMaine, I’ve worked at Maine DOT working with aerial photography, photogrammetry, geodesy, highway surveying and GIS systems, and, for the last 15 plus years overseeing airfield pavement rehabilitation and reconstruction projects, easement and land acquisitions, terminal construction projects and various other tasks.
“During my entire work life I have helped write contractual agreements, interpret them and enforce the conditions within them, LeSiege said. “During my workday I work with Town officials from Sanford to Frenchville, Eastport to Jackman and numerous consulting and construction firms. I also do airport and construction project inspections at the 27 FAA funded airports.
In my life I’ve lived in Cape Elizabeth, Augusta, Cumberland, Great Chebeague Island, Orono, Bangor, Hampden, Brewer, Vassalboro (20 years) and now Chesterville,” he noted. “My wife grew up here in Chesterville moved away after high school and we moved into town in December of 2016. We’ve been married for almost six years now and together we have five children (her-two sons and me-two daughters and a son), six grandchildren, 10 chickens, two dogs and two cats.
“I have coached T-Ball, softball and flag football, was a Dad of cheerleaders, a soccer player, T-ball and softball players and a year of flag football,” LeSiege said. “My hobbies — motorcycle riding, hunting, fishing, camping, golf, pool, haunted house building (since 1990), being Santa (since 1991), collecting dragons and cooking with my wife.”
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