PARIS — Lisa Keim of Dixfield, the assistant minority leader of the state Senate, has announced her candidacy for Oxford County commissioner for District 2.
Lisa Keim
While term limits have put an end to her eight years representing Senate District 19 at the State House, Keim said she is eager to continue public service.
“Representing the beautiful Western Maine mountain region in the State Senate has been the greatest honor of my life,” she said in a statement. “I am grateful for the trust my friends and neighbors have placed in me and hope to continue serving them in the role of County Commissioner.”
If elected, she would be the county’s first female commissioner.
She is running for the seat held by David Duguay of Byron, who is stepping down to run for Keim’s seat in the Senate.
Duguay has endorsed her, saying, “the knowledge and experience Lisa has gained in state government has well prepared her for the role of county commissioner. Dedicated in her service to our communities, Keim is known to be smart, hard-working and considerate. Her reputation of competence speaks for itself.”
Keim said that responsible government, at all levels, requires representatives to always keep in mind whose money they are spending and to whom they are accountable, while balancing the needs of the minority with that of the whole, a perspective she will bring to her role as Commissioner.
In her statement she said the top issues in Oxford County continue to be the Regional Communications Center, the regional airport improvements, and the need for county jail to receive dependable and adequate funding from the state, which she will advocate.
Keim said taxpayer money should be spent prudently to provide essential services, without extravagance. In her view, citizens deserve to understand how decisions are made and how cost-benefit considerations are weighed, with full assurance that decision-making happens only in open meetings.
To improve on the legacy of the current commissioners, Keim said she would like to see greater public access through video recorded meetings, available online. She understands that no one has the time to follow their government in all its details, or to attend meetings in the middle of their workday. She said video recordings provide a measure of transparency she believes should be standard practice at all levels of government and will commit to this bring this practice to Oxford County, according to her statement.
Keim also said she plans to commit to ensuring that Oxford County government is a reliable partner with all municipalities, no matter how large or small, while keeping their contributions as low as possible.
Her name will be on the June 11 Republican primary ballot along with Kyle Tilsley of Rumford, a former lieutenant and troop commander for the Maine State Police.
All unenrolled voters and registered Republicans are eligible to vote in the GOP primary.
Oxford County Commission District 2 includes the towns and territories of Andover, Bethel, Byron, Canton, Dixfield, Gilead, Hanover, Lincoln Plantation, Magalloway Plantation, Mexico, Newry, Peru, Roxbury, Rumford, Upton and the unorganized territories of Milton, Riley and Northern Oxford County.
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