WATERVILLE — City Councilor George Myers Jr., D-Ward 2, faces opposition from newcomer Patrick Roy, a Republican, in the Nov. 8 election.

Voting will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the American Legion Hall on College Avenue.

Myers has served in the Ward 2 seat since Dec. 7, when the council appointed him to fill the unexpired term of Mary-Anne Beal, who resigned after moving to Oakland.

Myers says he is running for re-election “to add a listener and more passion for people’s well-being to the conversation.”

“It’s been said several times in recent months that Waterville is at a tipping point, and it is,” Myers said. “The city is see-sawing between lethargy and optimism, between fearful spending and smart spending, between wondering what happened to the city’s glorious mill past and embracing a creative economy that strengthens the best of what we have now while building on it. With other like-minded folks, I can help tip us toward the positive because that’s just how I roll.”

Myers says he has supported the Waterville Opera House and trail system and has pushed for a new police station. Areas rife for conversation include green space, the airport, a warming center, Hathaway Creative Center and Pecha Kucha, he said.

Roy, a Republican and father of Republican mayoral candidate Andrew Roy, says he is running for the Ward 4 council seat because there are no Republicans on the council and the party is under-represented in the city.

Roy says he wants to listen to taxpayers and address their concerns. He said he has visited about 50 homes and talked with people about what they see happening in Waterville and what they like and do not like.

“I hope to represent the people in my ward and I’ve met a lot of them,” Roy said. “I want to be the voice of the people.”

Myers says the biggest single issue facing Waterville is that officials are doing a poor job of articulating clear, new and bold visions for the city which will now be addressed with a genuine community development plan.

“Another issue is fear: fear of moving forward, fear of change, fear of taxes,” he said. “We need activity if not businesses in our empty storefronts. We need to dust off the airport, paint over the old signs, capitalize it with private investment and re-promote it to everyone who flies in to take their kids to camps or to visit vacationland.”

Roy, on the other hand, says he believes the biggest issue facing Waterville is spending. He wants to ensure that the city’s money is spent wisely.

Roy pointed to a recent $10,000 donation from the city to Waterville Main Street as an example of money that could be better spent.

“I don’t think the city of Waterville should be giving that money,” he said. “If Main Street represents businesses, the businesses should help them, not the taxpayers. If there’s something to be spent from the city, it should be something that benefits at least most of the taxpayers in Waterville.”

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

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