Ogunquit News
Meet the candidates for the Ogunquit Board of Selectmen
By Melissa Wood
OGUNQUIT - John Abbott and Herbert Hoffman both obviously love the town of Ogunquit.Both have served on many boards and committees in town, and both are running positive campaigns in their quest for a seat on the Board of Selectmen, which will be decided in the April election.
The problem is that voters can only choose one for the position, which is currently held by Abbott, the board's vice chairman. In the following profiles, the candidates shared why they were running and what they felt were important issues to the town.
John Abbott
John Abbott
Current Selectmen Vice Chairman John Abbott said he has one agenda in his campaign for reelection: what is best for Ogunquit.
Abbott said there are a lot of ongoing issues in town that he would like to see through to resolution, such as school funding, the Route 1 corridor and protection of the Marginal Way.
"I would greatly appreciate finishing the job I started," he said.
He said it was important to modify the formula for school funding since, at this time, Ogunquit pays $4,250,000 to educate about 50 students - an amount that is nine times higher than that paid by Wells residents and translates into about $85,000 per pupil, per year.
"We could be sending our kids to Phillips Exeter with a limo both ways and a tutor," he said.
Abbott said he would support a consolidation plan, but does not support the consolidation plan proposed by the state for the town of York.
"There's got to be fairness," he said.
Abbott said he has demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership while serving as vice chairman, which includes helping the board work together cohesively and helping new members feel at home. He said his strong business background from running a business in Lawrence, Mass., for many years helps him understand the value of fiscal budgeting and long-term planning for the town.
Abbott has owned property in Ogunquit for 24 years and moved to town full time 15 years ago. He has served on the Board of Selectmen for three years, acting as vice chairman for the past year. He has also served as chairman of both the Planning Board and Sewer District Board of Trustees, and as a member of the Charter Review Commission, Budget Review Commission and Comprehensive Plan Update Committee.
Abbott said he has earned a reputation as a voice of reason on the board, and his main goal is to listen to the taxpayers of Ogunquit and carry out their wishes.
"We've got to remain vigilant so Ogunquit can face its challenges," he said.
Herbert Hoffman
Herbert Hoffman
Herbert Hoffman said that over the past five or six years he's been approached a number of times by various people in the community to consider running for the board.
"I've decided it's time to put my body where my mouth has been," said Hoffman, adding he hopes to bring an independent, clear view and creativity to the board in order to help it address the number of significant issues facing the town.
"Clearly, movement on the Dunaway Center and Village School are important," he said.
Hoffman said that since the Village School is empty and clearly won't be a school again he is leaning toward putting municipal offices in the building.
Hoffman also called the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District and school funding formula a big issue for the town, which includes Wells' proposal for the town to pay $44 million to Wells upfront for school funding and throw in the parking lot at Moody Beach to dissolve the current agreement.
"I'm not sure how good that proposal is from the Ogunquit point of view," he said.
He also said the current method for school funding that allows for a two-thirds property valuation, one-third pupil count method is an important issue for the town to fix.
Hoffman said he would be in favor of hiring legal representation so the town could find out the probability of going to court in order to modify the formula to the proposed school funding plan before the legislature that uses a one-third property valuation, two-thirds student count instead.
A third issue that Hoffman said is important is the town to look into other revenue sources, including, for instance, a local options tax that would allow local communities to, for example, collect $1 per room, per night for lodging. However, he said, he would not be in favor of adding that tax to restaurants.
Hoffman has owned property in Ogunquit for 31 years and lived in town full time for the last 10 years. He currently serves as chairman to the Charter Review Committee, and has also served on the Planning Board, Budget Review Committee and Transfer Station Committee. Hoffman said he wants to make a positive contribution to the town.
"I am running because I feel I can provide an independent point of view and a strong voice," he said.
To learn more about Abbott and Hoffman, Ogunquit residents are invited to a candidates' night that will be held on Tuesday evening, March 27, at the Dunaway Center.
