FAIRFIELD — Aaron Rowden and Beverly Busque were elected Tuesday to the Fairfield Town Council for three-year terms.
Rowden, a lawyer and the lone incumbent, received 1,958 votes. Busque, a retired former Somerset County Jail corrections officer, received 1,581 votes. Jeffrey H. Neubauer, received 1,391 votes.
Fairfield voters also approved changes to the town charter by a vote of 1,747-1196.
With the exception of a few minor amendments over the years, the town charter has not been changed in about three decades.
A town charter is like a local constitution that governs municipal business and addresses what can be done and by whom within the local government. The focus of the revisions to the charter was to initiate new ways of performing town government for a smoother operation.
Town Councilor Stephanie Thibodeau, whose term expires this year, declined to seek re-election.
Rowden grew up in Fairfield, attended high school at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone and earned his law degree at Georgetown University. Rowden said he is the most experienced person running this year, citing his three years on the council.
Busque, 56, went to Lawrence High School and completed the corrections course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. She said she has no political experience but will work hard to get things done on the council. Neubauer, 42, site manager at Matheson Gas, industrial gases and welding supplier, in Bangor, said he has no complaints about town government and just wants to contribute.
A vote was taken by the Charter Commission in June to keep the current open Town Meeting form of town government, with the added safeguards of a flier containing the proposed budget lines being mailed to all residents at least 10 days before a public hearing and before the budget document is set for Town Meeting.
The annual meeting in Fairfield will be known as the “annual town budget meeting,” at which annual municipal budget appropriations are the only matters covered.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow
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