WATERVILLE — Incumbent City Councilor Dana Bushee faces opposition from newcomer Jibryne E. Karter III, a vocal opponent of the city’s trash collection program, in the race for the Ward 6 seat.

A Democrat, Bushee, 39, was appointed to the council in December to fill the term of Eliza Mathias, who moved out of the ward.

Bushee said she is running because she loves Waterville, is raising her children here and loves serving and using her passion to bring people together for the city.

“I know Waterville is on the brink of some amazing ventures, and there are some big decisions to make ahead,” said Bushee, communications and outreach manager for Hardy Girls, Healthy Women, a nonprofit organization that provides leadership programs for girls, as well as research-based training for adults who work with girls. “I want to make sure we continue the strides that will bring in more businesses and jobs into the community so more families can invest in this city. I want to make sure we have leadership at the table to make that happen.”

Karter, 30, is not enrolled in a political party. He is chief executive officer for Mid Maine Electronics and Mid Maine Web and is running because he wants to help create jobs, represent the people and ensure that they have a say in what happens in the city.

“People are hurting, businesses are struggling and residents aren’t being heard,” Karter said. “I will give voice to the community, advocating for common sense solutions to improve our business climate, grow good jobs and provide tax relief.”

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DIFFER ON TRASH SYSTEM

Bushee, who voted for the city’s $37.2 million budget, which included pay-as-you-throw garbage collection, said the program is not perfect, but the city was paying $700,000 for trash disposal with looming price increases, so something had to be done. Councilors voted 5-2 to approve the 2014-15 municipal and school budget which included pay-as-you-throw, and it was a tough decision for all, she said.

“Is pay-as-you-throw perfect? No. We need to make some changes and make it better and easier for everyone,” she said. “The bottom line is the city can’t afford to spend $700,000 on trash and continue to say ‘no’ to our police chief and code enforcement officer and stop fixing and plowing our roads as regularly. We deserve a city that is not on the brink of bankruptcy because of trash.”

The program is not mandatory for residents — they may hire private contractors to pick up their trash. Those who use it have to buy special bags for curbside garbage pickup. The city also instituted curbside recycling.

Karter, who at city council meetings has voiced opposition to pay-as-you-throw and said voters should have had a say in it, said the money for the program should stay in the city.

“I favor recycling, but pay-as-you-throw is flawed because we are now sending close to $100,000 per year to WasteZero, a North Carolina company, simply for keeping store shelves stocked with purple trash bags,” Karter said. “If elected as councilor, I will support local jobs and businesses, not those from out of state. As it currently stands, the council could easily decide next year to raise the trash bag prices. With our current council makeup, this should raise alarm bells.”

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CITY MANAGEMENT

Bushee said she believes City Manager Michael Roy has been a good manager for the city.

“Once you work with Mike, you see how impressive he can be,” she said. “He’s under an enormous amount of pressure from many different people acting as his bosses — including the council. He’s attentive, a good listener and works well with all the different personalities.”

Karter agrees that Roy is a nice guy.

“I can work with Mike,” he said. “However, I believe he needs new councilors to help him better prioritize our budget. We need greater emphasis on education, police and fire protection, road maintenance and public works instead of big ideas like changing Main Street to a two-way traffic zone like some city officials are exploring.”

Bushee said the city must bring jobs and businesses to the city. Included in that effort is the need to make the intersection of Main, Spring and Water streets a gateway to downtown and the South End and Hathaway Creative Center and to make it safer for traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists.

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Once the Hathaway Center is fully developed, the rest of downtown and Head of Falls development will follow more easily, and the South End will be more ripe for redevelopment, she said. Bushee said city leaders need to continue relationships with arts organizations, including Colby College and the Alfond family, which have a common vision for Waterville as a place that can flourish and serve as a destination center.

Karter said the city needs to improve its business climate and provide tax relief.

“I will be a strong voice to make Waterville a certified Business-Friendly Community so we can begin competing for those good-paying jobs,” he said. “Many cities are flourishing across our state. We need to ask ourselves, ‘What are they doing right and what are we doing wrong?’ We’ve got to improve our business climate — our residents and businesses deserve nothing less.”

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17


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