WATERVILLE — The three mayoral candidates agree the city needs jobs, but two of the three say having a casino or racino here is not the way to get them.

At Tuesday’s mayoral debate at Colby College, Republican candidate Andrew Roy said such businesses attract a lot of people to an area and Waterville is in desperate need of jobs.

Additional Photos

ALL IN THE HOUSE: Waterville mayoral candidates Dana Sennett, left, Karen Heck and Andrew Roy debate Tuesday at Colby College. Staff photo by Andy Molloy

“I, personally, would like to see something happen here for an attraction,” said Roy, 37, owner of Andy’s DJ Service. “If can’t get a casino here, then a racino.”

But unenrolled candidate Karen Heck was adamantly opposed to the idea of the city’s having a casino or related business.

“I’d say absolutely not,” she said. “I don’t want that for the quality of life in this city.”

Heck, 59, a senior program officer for the Augusta-based Bingham Program, said she hopes referendum questions 2 and 3 on the November 8 ballot asking whether such gambling centers should be allowed are defeated.

“I think it would be a horrible idea,” she said.

Democratic Mayor Dana Sennett said if someone were to ask him today if Waterville should have a racino, he would say no.

“We have too much going on already,” said Sennett, 59, an advertising account executive for the Morning Sentinel.

Sennett cited the Waterville Opera House as an asset that will attract famous names and more dance recitals, plays and lectures, once its renovation and addition are completed and it is reopened. He said he is not against racinos in other places, but right now he is against the city’s having one.

About 125 people turned out for the debate, held in Ostrove Auditorium at the Diamond Building on the Colby campus.

The debate was sponsored by the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs & Civic Engagement and moderated by Sandy Maisel, a Colby government professor and director of the Goldfarb Center.

Much of Tuesday’s debate focused on what the city needs and what it lacks, and how to maintain services without raising taxes.

City Councilor John O’Donnell, D-Ward 5, said the city has one of the highest tax rates in the state and some of the candidates were talking about fixing roads, possibly hiring more code enforcement officers to handle a large work load and marketing the city at a time when two of the revenue sources — auto excise taxes and state revenue sharing — are at an all-time low. At the same time, the city is borrowing to fund public library and opera house renovations and the like, he said.

“How are we not going to let this tax rate go through the roof?” O’Donnell asked.

“That’s why we have to be prudent,” Sennett said. “We have to recognize our debt service.”

Sennett said the city is retiring some debt but officials have to be very careful.

“We have to live within our means,” he said.

Roy said spending has been one of his major concerns and that’s why he is running for mayor.

“We’ve been spending in our town faster than we can possibly pay it back,” he said.

He cited the city’s plan to borrow $2.5 million for a police station. If it is paid back within 20 years, the interest would increase it to $5 million, Roy said. Over 30 years, it would be $7.5 million, he said.

Heck said that, rather than talking about not raising taxes, officials should look at how they can help expand the tax base.

“I think that there are things we can think about in terms of generating revenue that don’t just mean raising taxes,” she said.

Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com

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