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Meet the Candidates Night October 14, 2025 Candidate Statements Overview All of the candidates were asked to prepare a short introductory statement for the public. In addition to a short paragraph that acts as a personal introduction, we also asked them to have the statement include three or four sentences that address the following questions: 1. What unique qualifications and experiences make you the ideal candidate for this position? 2. What inspired you to serve in this role, and what do you hope to achieve during your term? 3. How will you allocate your time and energy to effectively fulfill the responsibilities of this office? 4. With limited meetings, what strategies do you suggest for the board to prioritize and address the most pressing issues? 5. Identify a key challenge facing Lisbon today. What positive solutions would you propose to tackle it? Other than minimal formatting, the candidates' responses included in this packet were not edited. ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 3 Year Seat Roger Bickford I have lived in Lisbon falls my whole life. This town is very important to me. I have 2 Terms experience as a town councilor, 2 terms on the Water department. The rise in our town taxes. This towns citizens are worried if our taxes continue to rise they will lose there homes. I am now retired and have the time to invest in our community. Tax revenue and land management. Increase in taxes. Changes in personal. Thank you Roger Bickford ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 3 Year Seat Charlie Turgeon My name is Charlie Turgeon, and I've lived in Maine for my entire 37 years, growing up in Freeport and Durham before settling in Lisbon with my wife, Danyelle. We have three children and live in the High St. neighborhood of Lisbon Falls. I graduated from Brunswick High School in 2006, earned an associate degree from Central Maine Community College in 2011, and a bachelor's degree from Maine Maritime Academy in 2017. Currently, I work as a Project Manager assigned to PMW-760 out of San Diego, CA, overseeing the DDG program for new construction C4I systems, including acquisition, integration, and testing. These experiences have honed my skills in managing complex projects, coordinating multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring efficient delivery within budget constraints—skills that directly translate to effective governance in a town setting, where balancing resources and stakeholder needs is paramount. As the spouse of a teacher in the Lisbon School Department, I must recuse myself from voting on school-related matters due to potential conflicts of interest, but this unique position provides me with invaluable insight into the broader challenges and of our community, particularly how education intersects with economic and demographic issues. 1. What unique qualifications and experiences make you the ideal candidate for this position? My background in project management for large-scale defense programs equips me with expertise in strategic planning, risk assessment, and resource allocation, which are essential for addressing Lisbon's municipal needs. Having lived in Maine my whole life and witnessed the evolution of similar communities, I bring a grounded perspective on local issues. Additionally, my personal connection to the education system through my spouse offers a balanced view of town priorities without compromising ethical standards. 2. What inspired you to serve in this role, and what do you hope to achieve during your term? As a resident of Lisbon since 2013, I've witnessed our town experiment with various economic revival strategies. I'm inspired to serve because I believe we need a back-to-basics approach to build a sustainable future. I hope to foster community-driven discussions to clearly define the scope and expectations of our local government, ensuring it remains efficient and responsive in an increasingly expensive world. Ultimately, my goal is to help Lisbon thrive by focusing on core services that support our aging population and attract new opportunities without overextending resources. 3. How will you allocate your time and energy to effectively fulfill the responsibilities of this office? I plan to prioritize preparation for meetings by reviewing agendas and data in advance, drawing from my project management experience to maximize productivity during limited sessions. Outside of meetings, I'll dedicate time to community engagement, such as attending local events and consulting with residents, to stay informed on pressing issues. This balanced allocation will ensure I contribute meaningfully while maintaining my professional commitments. 4. With limited meetings, what strategies do you suggest for the board to prioritize and address the most pressing issues? The current agenda format is ideal for keeping meetings focused and efficient, providing a solid foundation for decision-making. To enhance this, I suggest adding semi-annual open forums to the public, recreating elements of the historical town meeting, where residents can voice concerns and feel heard as stakeholders. Additionally, regular updates at these forums will ensure transparency and alignment with community priorities, supporting a back-to-basics approach to governance in Lisbon’s evolving context. 5. Identify a key challenge facing Lisbon today. What positive solutions would you propose to tackle it? A key challenge for Lisbon is balancing growth while maintaining transparent community involvement, ensuring we don’t deviate 180 degrees from our comprehensive plan. I propose semi-annual town hall meetings (in addition to regular Council Meetings) and online resources to keep residents informed and engaged, allowing us to align development with community values and priorities. Additionally, I advocate for a back-to-basics approach, leveraging local expertise to guide sustainable growth that preserves Lisbon’s character and supports its aging population without overburdening resources. ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 3 Year Seat Jo-Jean Keller 1 Hello, Lisbon Neighbors, My name is Jo-Jean Keller, and I am running for re-election to the Town Council. I’d like to tell you about myself, my history in Lisbon, why I am running for Council and my beliefs about public service. Although I was raised in Kentucky, I came to Lisbon in 1978 as part of a military family. My husband was stationed with VP- 44 at the Brunswick Naval Air Station, and we settled in Lisbon with our two young children who attended Lisbon Schools. As we settled in Lisbon, I became actively involved with the community. I joined the Lisbon Jaycee Women, served as an officer and participated in activities like Frontier Days (the forerunner to our current Moxie Days). I also served on the Library Board and was a substitute teacher in the Lisbon School System. One of my favorite memories was attending Town Meetings and observing the crowds of people who attended to vote on their favorite concern. The moderator stood with a firm gavel to limit the contentious discussions which inevitably arose. Town Meetings inspired my interest and encouraged me to learn more about local government. As part of my 20 + year career with LL Bean, I was a Training Coordinator, Communications Specialist and Intranet Web Designer for Customer Service. After retiring from LL Bean, I became an Ed Tech for Lisbon Schools and then Lisbon Library’s Children Librarian. I also became a trained mediator. In more recent years, I’ve continued my community involvement with the Lisbon Library as well as LACO, the Lisbon Historical Society, Lisbon Development Committee, Lisbon Emergency, and the University of Maine Androscoggin Sagadahoc Cooperative Extension, along with my position as council member. Lisbon has been through quite a tumultuous time recently. People are understandably angry and anxious about the future. What concerns me most is the confrontational aspect of their emotions with personal attacks not uncommon. I feel there are two groups of people. One is very vocal with strong beliefs and opinions. The other group is quieter. There is a large gulf between the groups. I want to draw the groups closer together by listening, understanding and voicing the possible connections that can draw them into a collaborative relationship to make Lisbon’s future a happy one. As a member of the Town Council, I believe you must: Represent all citizens • Stay informed, especially about Lisbon finances • Ask questions • Deal with issues honestly • Be available for open dialogue • Be compassionate, trustworthy and knowledgeable Managing the Duties • Set aside a daily time for Council business • Review agendas, documents and meeting videos • Set regular meetings with the Town Manager ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 3 Year Seat Jo-Jean Keller 2 Determining Agenda items • Listen to input from citizens • Consider impact if topic not addressed • Respond to questions • Input from Town Manager • Consider impact to other communities Key Challenges • Ongoing communication is a critical concern, especially with Town finances • Continue to develop communication strategies to reach as many as possible • Emphasize the necessity to communicate the decision-making process • Continue developing guidelines for communication • Develop more avenues for direct communication from Council to citizens I look forward to meeting with you, answering your questions and hearing what you want most to say. Jo-Jean Keller ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 3 Year Seat Greg Garnett Greg Garnett, Lisbon Falls I am a 62+ years resident of Lisbon. I have attended Lisbon Schools from Kindergarten through Graduation in 1977. My three grown children also attended Lisbon Schools K-12. I am recently retired from 37+ years at BIW, spending the last 25 working with all levels of management to find resolutions to budgets, inventory, and personnel issues. This unique set of skills gives me the experience to fill this council position. My approach is to be fiscally responsible, using common sense, and meet with each department head to discuss ALL options available, going line by line if necessary. Being recently retired gives me the flexibility to attend the necessary meetings to accomplish the goals ahead of us. However, I would entertain the use of technology (Zoom or the like) to allow attendance for all council members when the circumstances dictate. As I see it, Lisbon has a few urgent challenges that are concerning to it's residents; 1. Tax Relief 2. New Business Revenue 3. Seniors Concerns 4. Water Quality I want all of our grandchildren to inherit a better and affordable Lisbon! I am asking for your vote this November because, "IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE!" Sincerely, Greg Garnett ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 3 Year Seat Eric Metivier I have been a proud Lisbon resident for 34 years. As a graduate of Gray New Gloucester High School, I have spent my life dedicated to hard work, family, and community. My wife and I have been happily married for 35 years and are the proud parents of three adult children and five wonderful grandchildren. With 37 years of self-employment and experience running my own business, I understands the importance of fiscal responsibility and common-sense decision-making. I have also previously served on the Lisbon Town Council, bringing valuable experience and insight into how our town operates. I decided to run again because of the serious challenges facing Lisbon today—particularly the rising taxes that are putting a strain on senior citizens and those on fixed incomes. I believe the town must increase revenue, make smart, necessary cuts, and restructure priorities before we risk losing what makes Lisbon special. Because I’m self-employed, I have the flexibility and commitment to dedicate the time our community deserves. I also believe the council needs to hold more workshops—not just meetings—to dig into the major issues and find real solutions together. I am ready to bring experience, accountability, and common sense back to the council. Let’s work together to make Lisbon great again. ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 2 Year Seat Diana Rolfe Diana Rolfe, Lisbon I grew up in the Brunswick/Topsham area and have been a Lisbon resident for 25 years (with a brief hiatus from 2010- 2020). My grandparents, dad, and uncle lived here beginning in 1942. My three grown children grew up and attended schools in Lisbon (2 out of the 3 still live here) and I now have two grandchildren attending Lisbon schools. With retirement looming and grandchildren in the school system, I have a vested interest in both ends of the spectrum. I’m a registered nurse of more than 20 years with experience in critical care, acute care, hospice care, and ambulatory care. I’ve held leadership roles working with staff, providers, and administration to stabilize an outpatient practice; assist in the transition to a larger healthcare organization; as well as participate in performance improvement initiatives. Those skills as well as my ability to think critically and outside the box provide me with the experience to fulfill a town council position. I’m fortunate to work in a field, as well as for an organization, that values community involvement and will provide the flexibility to fulfill the commitment necessary to actively participate as a member of the town council. Keeping fiscal responsibility at the forefront while engaging with town departments to collaborate together in building a better Lisbon is my goal if elected to council. Ensuring that proper infrastructure supports the vision of Lisbon is as important as providing tax relief (for all, more importantly for our senior population), an educational system that supports our students and teachers, and services that provide safety for the residents of Lisbon. I’m humbly asking for your vote in November because I love Lisbon and want to provide a better future for our children and grandchildren. The Lisbon I love is the one where neighbors are helping neighbors and we’re all working towards the same goal – a better, more sustainable Lisbon. Because, after all, WE ARE LISBON! ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 3 Year Seat Dale Crafts My name is Dale Crafts, I’m a lifelong resident of Lisbon Falls and a father of 6 six adult children and 17 grandchildren. I have been a business man for 40 years owning multiple business hiring hundreds of employees over much time. It’s been an honor to represent the people of Lisbon and Maine in many different capacities over many years and I’m looking to serving again if I was to get elected once more! 1. What unique qualifications and experiences make you the ideal candidate for this position? Life long Lisbon resident with over 40 years of business experience. I served on the first Town Council form of government here in Lisbon for 2 1/2 years then got elected to the Maine State Legislature and served the Lisbon residents from 2008 thru 2016. In 2020 I won the primary to become the candidate for US Congress in the second district of Maine in the general elections. 2. What inspired you to serve in this role, and what do you hope to achieve during your term? When I heard that the town proposed budget would be a 45% property tax increase, I knew I Had to get involved. I plan on working tirelessly to reduce inefficacies to reduce property tax burden To make it affordable again for residence of Lisbon. 3. How will you allocate your time and energy to effectively fulfill the responsibilities of this office? I will allocate as much time needed to fix the fiscal cliff, we are facing to get the job done! 4. Identify a key challenge facing Lisbon today. What positive solutions would you propose to tackle it? We will need to consolidate and even shrink the size of departments to find ways to reduce spending. Unfortunately, we will have to go without for a time until we can get Lisbon back on the right path to sustainability. The positive part is we can do this! Candidate Dale Crafts 2 passing ln. Lisbon Falls [PHONE REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 2 Year Seat Joseph Costa October 8th, 2025 Joseph Costa - 251 Bowdoinham Rd, Lisbon Falls, ME Candidate information ‘Get to know me!’ My name is Joseph Costa, a 5 year resident of Lisbon Falls with my wife Nichole. I’m an electrical engineer that designs substations and switchyards for electric utilities and third party developers. Outside of work, you’ll catch me working around the house, watching movies with my wife, or in the gym. I have been in the power industry for nearly 7 years, and during this time, I’ve mentored new engineers and interns, and have led design teams on high profile projects, where I’ve delegated tasks amongst my team, assisted project managers with managing hours, budget, schedules, and scopes to meet our client deadlines. As a lead engineer, it is also my responsibility to conduct quality control reviews on projects, making sure the designs meet not only company standards but industry standards as well. I’ve gained unique skills in college and in the power industry, such as leadership, quality management, interpersonal, reliability, accountable, and responsible. I truly believe that these skills make me the ideal candidate for the town council position. Lisbon is facing numerous challenges right now, and I can’t sit idly and watch the issues keep getting pushed down the road. I don’t just want to make changes, I want to help solve the underlying issues that the town is dealing with. In my role, my hours are flexible and I can work as remotely as needed. This allows me to attend meetings and still accomplish my tasks at work. As many of us know, the council has limited days to meet. I recommend that the council votes on a handful of pressing issues to work through for the year. In doing so, the council will have a group of 3-5 pressing issues that the council can work through during the year, while handling other smaller tasks that come up. A few key issues I see that the town is facing: heavily reliant on external financial resources (state/federal), too many services that the town can afford, and outdated/ failing infrastructure. Thank you for considering voting for me this November. Let’s work together for a better Lisbon, may not be for us, but for future generations. ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Council, 2 Year Seat Jean Burkhardt Good evening, Lisbon, I'm Jean Burkhardt I'm running for the 2-yr town Council position. I'd like to tell you a bit about myself. My husband and I moved here 41yrs ago as a military family and decided to put down our roots to grow our family. Lisbon has become our forever home. I have a medical background as an RN and served in the community spending several yrs in EMS for Lisbon emergency. I've also supported the school as a Scout leader and a Special Olympics coach running and helping with multiple fund raiser for community projects. In short, my family has been ingrained in this community and intend to remain as such. I'm running because I believe we need someone who is open minded, has common sense and is concerned about the future of our town. As you've heard me say in meetings before we need to support our children because they are our future and our seniors because they are our history. Without them we have neither a future nor a past. I want our community to prosper and grow but not at a cost that will dismantle who we are as a community. I'm retired and now have the time and energy to focus on what our town needs to grow and support those in our community who need it the most. I feel that the agenda as presented to the public during our town meetings is not very clear or concise. It has been brought to my attention the community doesn't understand everything that is being presented for vote and how it applies to them. We need to make sure that when we vote on something we don't just address it as an order with numbers or a resolution, but we speak in layman's terms, so the community is made aware of exactly what their tax dollars are supporting. We are now faced with a burden of increased taxes not everyone is able to support. At this time, I know that then council is working on plans to help support our seniors and others struggling financially in today's economy with assistance programs. I am more than willing to help promote and implement any and all programs that are available. I would also like to make sure we have a way to get this information out to the general public and not just those who have internet access. We need to remember who we are and stop comparing our town to towns around. WE ARE LISBON!!! Thank you for your support. I hope to see you at town Meetings in the future and on November 4th to vote.