Marc Rines, left, is seen in January 2018 after being inaugurated as a Gardiner councilor. The District 4 councilor recently said he is stepping down, because he is having to stay out of state longer than anticipated and feels he cannot adequately serve South Gardiner. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal file

GARDINER — The Gardiner City Council is seeking letters of interest from city residents interested in filling vacancies on the City Council and on the Gardiner-area school district board.

The vacancies are the result of elected officials resigning from their positions before their terms are up, and the City Council is responsible for filling both those positions.

To be considered, Gardiner residents are asked submit letters to the Gardiner City Council by 4 p.m. March 30. Any Gardiner resident is eligible for the school board position. Only residents of District 4 are eligible to apply for the City Council seat.

Matthew Marshall is resigning from the Maine School Administrative District 11 board because he is moving out of the district. Submitted photo

Candidates will be invited to attend the April 5 City Council meeting to speak about their interest in the positions and answer questions. Councilors will vote by secret ballot at that meeting to fill the vacancies.

Marc Rines, who has represented District 4, which encompasses South Gardiner, on the City Council, and Matthew Marshall, one of five Gardiner representatives to the Maine School Administrative District 11 board, are both stepping down.

Rines, son of the late Gardiner Mayor Brian Rines and grandson of the late Gardiner City Councilor Fred William Rines, was first elected 2017. He stepped up to run when longtime District 4 Councilor Phil Hart announced in September that he would not seek reelection. His term expires in January.

Advertisement

Rines announced his resignation at the March 15 City Council meeting, via telephone; the City Council allows elected officials to participate by telephone if they are out of the city. He said he was having to stay out of state longer than anticipated and felt he could not adequately serve South Gardiner.

Marshall, who had been critical of spending in MSAD 11 at Gardiner City Council meetings, was elected to serve on the Gardiner-area school board in 2018 and was reelected three years later. His term expires in November 2024.

Marshall is resigning because he’s moving out of the district.

Mayor Patricia Hart said under the Gardiner city charter, the process for filling the seats on the different boards is slightly different.

The candidate who fills the school board vacancy will serve until the end of the term.

The candidate who fills the City Council seat does so temporarily until the next regular or special municipal election, at which point the seat will be up for election and the person elected will  serve to the end of the term.

Related Headlines


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.