Burman, Pilon compete for Ward 4 Saco City Council Seat

Incumbent Michael Burman is running against former Mayor Don Pilon for the Ward 4 Saco City Council seat.

The candidates, in alphabetical order:

 Michael Burman, 43, is married with two children. He is a professor of psychology and the Academic Director of the School for Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of New England, where he teaches, runs a neuroscience research lab, and oversees about 20 faculty members and eight academic programs.  

Burman has served on the Saco City Council since 2020. He also served on the Saco School’s Strategic Planning Committee and the Saco School Construction Committee and is a founding member of the Saco Educational Foundation.

“In my two years on Council, we’ve already made incredible progress,” he said.

The city has reactivated discussions on the Army Corps’ jetty project, which was previously shelved, he said, and approved a news waste-water treatment facility. The city has also acquired state funding for a new school, painted the first bike lanes, leased every storefront on Main Street, expanded senior property tax relief programs, expanded walking trails, approved a new comprehensive plan, and kept the property tax mil rate flat, he said.

“While there is much more to be done, my record of deep understanding of the issues, creating relationships across council and city committees, and commitment to common sense solutions and compromises has led to a high level of accomplishment,” he said. “More importantly, I bring energy, positivity, and competence to the position. Ward 4 residents appreciate my kindness, responsiveness, and ability to solve problems quickly, collaboratively, and efficiently.”

Burman said if re-elected, his top priority would be revitalizing and protecting the city’s waterfront.

“Sitting at the mouth of the Saco River is what makes our town unique,” he said. “The natural beauty, unique culture, and recreational opportunities need to be protected and nurtured to ensure that Saco residents have continue to access long into the future. Doing so is a complex initiative that involves several aspects.”

The city has made historic progress on working with the Army Corps of Engineers regarding a proposal to combat coastal erosion and after decades of stalling, expects to receive a project partnership agreement by the end of the year, he said. The city also hopes to help combat erosion using a York County-sponsored dredge, which will be housed in Saco and could both open the Saco River and produce sand to replenish our beaches, said Burman. 

The city also needs to revitalize and invest in the beachfront economy and coastal businesses and continue to support commercial fishery, he said.

Another priority would be ensuring affordable housing, which would include growing the city’s housing stock and building smaller units in higher density settings, with a focus on young professionals and retirees.

“Some long-time residents can no longer afford to live in town. This is a problem, and we need to fix it,” he said.

Other top priorities are making Saco a family-friendly destination for businesses and recreation and ensuring that Saco engages in good and transparent governance.

“Government works for the people,” he said.  “We need to ensure the city is offering the best possible service with a high degree of financial responsibility. Moreover, when it comes to growth, new ordinances, zoning, and economic development, we must ensure we are acting with the highest levels of transparency, ethics and fairness. While we may disagree on desired outcomes, there should be no surprises in municipal governance.”

 Don Pilon is married with an adult daughter and granddaughter. He is a real estate broker with 30 years’ experience and is currently representing The Bean Group. He is a former Saco call force firefighter for the Camp Ellis Fire Station and was the mitigation director for the York County Emergency Management Agency and Mitigation Coordinator for the International Association of Emergency Managers. He has a degree in sociology from the University of New England.

He served four terms as a State Representative and was the Mayor of Saco from 2013 to 2015. In his role as mayor, he was an ex-officio member of the Saco School Board.

Pilon said his experience in municipal and state government has taught him how to work collaboratively to achieve good outcomes for community members.

“I have valuable perspective on the many services and functions that make our city a great place to live, including budget development, education system, public safety, and economic development,” he said. “I fully understand that the City Council is responsible for making important policy decisions. I know Ward 4 very well. I know the people, the needs and the challenges. Yes, Councilors are elected to advocate for their wards, but they must ultimately work together to create a diverse community with ample resources and cultural opportunities.”

Pilon said if elected, one of his top priorities would be to pursue guaranteed funding for the Property Tax Stabilization Program. He said the city will need to work with local state legislators to assure this program remains available and effective for the most vulnerable in our community.

“Many of Saco’s long-time residents in our wards are seniors who have owned homes for decades. In many cases, their income has not kept up with property tax increases,” he said.

He said another priority is helping homeless children. He said he’s currently working with a group of volunteers and a non-profit organization to explore the feasibility of creating a safe residential facility where children can sleep, shower and keep up with their studies.

“A little-known truth is that there are children in our Saco schools who do not have a safe home for any number of reasons. We take it for granted that students can rise from their own bed, brush their teeth, have breakfast, and go to school. We assume that they have a foundation from which they can learn and grow. That is not always the case. Some are unhoused, some are couch surfing or worse. It scares me that we don’t have a safety net to help children who don’t have the foundation that they need and deserve,” he said.

Pilon said another top concern of his is the lack of affordable housing in Saco.

“Without housing stock which meets the needs of growing and successful households, those families will move on…out of Saco,” he said.

He said if elected, he would advocate for the city to engage with non-profit organizations, urban planning experts and others to make workforce housing and prudent development of tiered housing opportunities a priority for Saco’s future.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.