Former Old Orchard Beach Assistant Town Manager seeks local political office

OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The former assistant town manager is running unopposed for a one-year position on the town council in the Nov. 3 election, and six candidates are running for three council seats with two-year terms.

Former Town Councilor Joseph Thornton vacated his position in July, as he was moving out of Old Orchard Beach. Louise Reid, who retired this month from the position of Assistant Town Manager, will be running unopposed to serve out the remainder of this term, which is one year.

There are six candidates vying for three council seats -current Town Councilors Kenneth Blow, Michael Tousignant and Shawn O’Neill, as well as Guy Fontaine, Richard Leone and Gholamreza Namin. These seats have two-year terms.

There are four candidates running for two Regional School Unit 23 Board of Directors seats – current board members Peter Flaherty and Christopher LaSalle as well as Samantha Sauls and Donna Moutsatsos.

Voters will also be asked to weigh in on two questions.

The first question asks voters if the town should borrow $23.5 million for the wastewater treatment facility.

The second question asks voters if the town should allow the sale of adult use marijuana and issue a limited number of licenses allowing adult use marijuana businesses to operate.

Residents can vote  from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 at the Old Orchard Beach High School gymnasium or go to https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl to request an absentee ballot. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on Oct. 29.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at [email protected].