2009 Charter Commission Voter Guide

Portland, ME

June 9, 2009

This has been an exciting year already for Maine politics, and it just keeps getting better. While you don’t have any ballot initiatives or referendums to vote on this June, you get to choose the faces behind the policy-making for our City! So scope out the guide, and read up on Candidates for the Portland Charter Commission.

In order to receive League endorsement, candidates and issues needed to win a simple majority using an Instant Runoff Voting ballot. Our multi-partisan Elections Committee then spends up to 8 hours a week researching and interviewing candidates. Committed League members who have racked up a minimum of 8 hours of volunteer time are then allowed to vote on their favorite candidates. We are focused and committed to ensuring that our endorsed candidates have the skills and background necessary for elected office and would be excellent advocates for issues affecting young people.

Charter Commission, District 1

Joel Ben Monaghan

Endorsed Vote: No

Joel Ben Monaghan is a life-long Portland resident, a historian, and a small business co-owner of a screenplay writing company. Ben is very personable, has great family values, and genuinely has the best interest of Portland in the forefront of his mind. Ben believes that what sets him apart from his opponent is that he is effectively able to reach out to all constituents in the community. He supports an elected Mayor, citing that “we can’t demand of our State and Federal institutions what we refuse to our own community.” He also cites that budget control is an important issue and refers to the current process as “disingenuous negotiating ploys” when we need good faith cooperation. As a small business owner, Ben has the experience collaborating with different people to accomplish a common goal. He feels that the best way to represent his community is to choose not to take a stance on particular issues until he is officially on the Charter Commission. While we appreciate Ben’s enthusiasm for the City of Portland, what concerns us about this political outsider is that he doesn’t seem to have the experience working with others on local political issues, or the experience engaging the community, that is needed for a successful charter passage.

Ben Chipman

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Ben Chipman has worked successfully over the past eight years on campaigns supporting progressive issues and candidates, including races for State Rep., City Council, and School Committee, as well as the Opportunity Maine campaign. He is excited to have the opportunity to make positive changes for Portland. He believes it is important to create a Charter that includes an elected Mayor but which does not make changes without voter support. Ben would be open to creating more city districts, smaller in size, to open seats with more affordable campaigns and to be more grassroots-oriented. He wants to make the city and school budget / finance process more efficient by giving the city council control over the school’s "checkbook"; the control of expenditures should be consolidated under one office. He hopes to solicit much public comment and work with other members of the commission to develop a charter that will be ratified by voters. Ben wants to get as many people as possible involved in this process and to encourage many levels of involvement. He takes stronger positions on the issues than many of the other candidates, but he has a great deal more experience working to engage the public on the issues he cares about. Ben is a dedicated activist for progressive change and has been a League ally with many years of experience.

Charter Commission, District 2

Dan Jenkins

Endorsed Vote: Yes

As a Board member of the Parkside Neighborhood Association and as a former Leaguer, Dan Jenkins emphasizes the importance of neighborhood associations in contributing to Portland’s vitality. At 26, this Muskie Public Policy student offers a young progressive voice on the Commission. Jenkins supports the right of non-citizens to vote in municipal elections, would like to re-district in favor of more neighborhood districts, favors an elected Mayor, and would explore public financing for that Mayor. He would consider bringing innovative ideas, like instant runoff voting, to the table. As a lifelong Portlander, Jenkins would like to see Portland’s democracy thrive by engaging its many neighborhood associations, and he wants Portland to have an elected Mayor who brings a long term, forward-moving vision to the city. While Jenkins proposes some innovative and progressive ideas, he is not immovable on his stances. Instead, he says, he plans to bring a set of principles to the table, gauge public sentiment, and work to collaborate and engage with other Commissioners. This balance would make him a great Commissioner.

Robert O'Brien

Endorsed Vote: No

On the surface, the differences between Robert O’Brien and his opponent hang by a thread. Both of them are young and have similar personal backgrounds and resumes: Robert is also a product of Portland’s public schools, studied public policy at the Muskie School, and is 29. He is running in order to share his perspective and experience working on the School Committee with the Charter Commission. No stranger to criticism, he’s faced difficult public scrutiny during his tenure on the School Committee for the budget oversight in 2007 and during the upset over weighted grades. Having gone through that process, he believes the charter commission needs to produce a charter that would gain public support and feels like he can bring skills for taking public input and using it effectively in policy practice. While Robert doesn’t quite fall in line with The League on all the issues, such as supporting electoral reform through IRV and allowing non-citizen residents the right to vote locally, he does offer some nuanced considerations about what some changes to the Charter could mean for local politics in our city. He believes that a popularly elected Mayor could continue partisan divisiveness, with the competition for a visible leadership role. He looks at the Charter Commission as an opportunity to improve the way we manage our local infrastructure rather than as a political opportunity. What he values about our city government currently is its transparency and commitment to public service. While he sees his work on the School Committee as an extension of his work on the Charter Commission, we question the amount of time he can dedicate to serving two elected positions effectively—and how well he can separate his School Committee position from a Charter Commission position.

Charter Commission, District 3

Laurie J. Davis

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Laurie J. Davis is a genuine member of the “analyze and act” crowd: someone who has an open mind and is willing to look into many solutions to a problem. A good example of this is her experience on Peaks Island, where she helped found the neighborhood association. Year after year, she kept hearing the same issues from the Island community whenever it would meet with city officials: the community needed a localized mechanism for dealing with important issues as they arose. Laurie wants to create a city that her kids want to come back to. For her, this means nurturing diversity to create a welcoming and multi-cultural community, as well as creating professional opportunities for young people. Part of that means making education the centerpiece of the municipal budget (a key part in Portland’s economic development, she says). As someone who as worked closely with the schools, Laurie sees the fact that the school budget is separate from the city budget as problematic. While she is a recent addition to District 3, she brings decades of experience and knowledge from her work in the City of Portland and the Portland Public Schools. Laurie is an intelligent woman who understands the process of local government from a staff perspective (for example, she was the coordinator of the No Child Left Behind in the Portland schools and the Youth Employment Project Manager for the City)—which we don’t see in any other candidate.

Joseph Malone

Endorsed Vote: No

You may best know Joseph Malone from the ever-present commercial brokerage signs bearing his name that pepper the Greater Portland region. This political outsider is unabashedly pro-growth and is emphatic about his vision for Portland. He wants to see the city strive to be a flourishing international model of property and business development. Joe states that compromise is what he does – and he’s built a career on mediating successfully. Along with analyzing and drawing up zoning regulations, he believes that his business skills are going to be uniquely valuable to the development of a new Charter – especially compared with that of the lawyers and municipal insiders that make up the bulk of the candidates. He wants to make the process as open and comprehensible as possible, with expert forums that pit different ideas against each other in a debate format. Joe further suggests that voters could be allowed to weigh in on ratifying the Commission’s recommendations on an itemized basis. Among his top priorities is ensuring that the government is encouraged to work in a collaborative, progressive, and timely manner within all of its branches. While we appreciate his candidacy, perhaps his expertise and vision would be better put to use on other bodies, such as the Planning Board.

Charter Commission, District 4

Steven Scharf

Endorsed Vote: No

Steven Scharf has heard the cry of Portlanders asking for a Charter Commission and wants to carry out their wishes. He feels confident in focusing his platform on the sole issue of instituting an elected mayor. He sees a lot of places where the local government has room for improvement, such as the missed opportunity in not litigating the property rights of the Maine State Pier and the lack of communication of expectations between the City Council and School Committee. Steven has plentiful experience and has no qualms about getting knee-deep in technical and mundane charter and by-law development. He steadfastly believes that the Charter process should not be “touchy feely” and that some amount of controversy would help to engage the media—and, in turn, the public. While he admits that he hasn’t been connecting a whole lot with his constituents, he maintains that what they want is an elected Mayor. His work with the Portland Taxpayers Association and the Maine and Portland Republican Committees has bolstered his commitment to fiscal responsibility. He shows this commitment by attending nearly all of the municipal meetings available to the public. Steven – also the only openly gay person running for Charter Commission - doesn’t believe that his political leanings will create an obstacle of any kind. He hopes that a liberal/conservative divide will not be present in the neutral work of developing the Charter.

John Spritz

Endorsed Vote: Yes

John Spritz got his start in community activism in 2001 to fight the closing of his children’s neighborhood school, Baxter School— a fight that exposed him to the difficult reality of public process between Portland residents and our elected officials. Realizing the need for more neighborhood representation, he founded the Back Cove Neighborhood Association and served as its first President. He remains “agnostic” on the subject of an elected Mayor and on school budget management—he believes we need to figure out if the real problems are actually structural or just reflective of the personalities and leadership abilities of our elected officials and city staffers. While he doesn’t have the financial background or intimate knowledge of City Hall of some of the other candidates, he would bring the energy and interests of District 4 to help contribute to the public process. As a marketing consultant, he believes that the typical methods that the local government uses for public engagement should be improved to fit the changing communications and lifestyles of Portland residents. He’s interested in how the Commission could engage Portland’s under-30 crowd and in assuring that the community would see regular reports from the commission. His vision for the community is in line with The League’s—he appreciates the incredible “mix of things in a small space’”: truly diverse neighborhoods, a real working waterfront, diverse ethnic groups, young people who keep coming to our city “against all odds,” and a strong, affluent middle class. He believes that “this is a place worth fighting for,” and so do we.

Janice Tevanian

Endorsed Vote: No

As the Chair of Portland’s Planning Board, as a Project Manager for the International City/County Management Association (an organization for appointed professionals like city managers), and as Manager of Educational Services for the Maine Municipal Association, Janice Tevanian has experience with the inner workings of city government. She approaches the task of examining Portland’s Charter with an open mind and an eye toward public input. Tevanian intends to assess the merits of an elected Mayor based on public input, and she would consider re-districting. She has noted that she is not inclined to support a change in the structure of the School Committee or a modification that would allow Portland’s non-citizens to vote in municipal elections. While Tevanian has a wealth of experience and enthusiasm, she doesn’t seem to bring a unique set of skills or ideas to the pool of candidates. For that reason, we had to pass.

Charter Commission, District 5

Peter Rickett

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Personable, genuine, full of food references and strong opinions, Peter Rickett means business. He is a straight talker (no McCain homage there, mind you), and if you’re looking for progress and change, he is your man. He doesn’t want to “upset the apple cart” but says that Portland needs a change. Rickett wants to see an elected part-time Mayor who works with the City Manager to formulate and accomplish a vision for the city and thinks the Mayor should have a voting seat on the School Committee; this is a practice in other municipalities, with a reasonable margin of success. This system will link the two bodies (schools and city) whose insulated, disconnected relationship is a big part of what Rickett feels is the problem. He says that he is the only “insider” (former Council member) looking for change. He feels that Portland lacks a vision and is full of people who are afraid to upset the order of things. His strong views won’t make it hard for him to come to compromises around the charter commission table, however: “I’d rather have half a sandwich than no sandwich.” Rickett is a self-proclaimed mover and a shaker, with a good heart and some interesting ideas.

Richard Ranaghan

Endorsed Vote: No

Richard Ranaghan is a life-long resident of Portland. He currently serves as the senior VP of Public Finance at Gorham Savings Bank. He has enjoyed seeing Portland grow more diverse and developed over time. Richard enjoys giving back to his community and currently serves on the Boys and Girls Club Board and the Cumberland County Civic Center board in Portland. He is energized about getting the public more involved, particularly by having televised community forums. Richard doesn’t want to make a decision about the idea of the elected Mayor before he's "at the table.” Further, he feels that it is unfair to the community to go into such an endeavor having his mind already made up about certain issues. Richard’s heart is in the right place, but we didn’t get a strong sense of how he would perform on the Charter Commission.

Charter Commission, At-Large

Nathan Smith

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Nathan Smith served on the City Council for two terms in the late nineties, including a year as mayor, and is a lawyer by occupation. What distinguishes Nathan from the other white collar, ex-mayor folks running for office is his sophisticated level of insight and attention to the intended and unintended consequences from charter changes. He believes that change takes time: an example is how Portland is now starting to implement the changes he began to work on when he initially ran for the Council almost ten years ago, on citywide sustainability via public transportation, creation of public recreational spaces, and the need for more neighborhood empowerment. On the issue of an elected Mayor, the question isn’t whether or not we can popularly elect a Mayor, but what kind of power we want the Mayor to have. He supports some League issues, such as voting reform through IRV, and while he isn’t quite on board with immigrant voting rights, he does sympathize with the issue, citing that it takes a long time for immigrants to gain citizenship. Not only does his background in city politics gives him the insight to know what questions to ask on the Charter Commission, but his open-minded approach would ensure that people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences will be taken into consideration.

Paul Farrell

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Paul Farrell is a fresh face with some real ideas for how to make this a better city—most notably, an elected Mayor. Farrell works in the Senate Chamber in Augusta but has a varied background as an organizer, kitchen manager, and field coordinator for five Maine State Senate races. He was also a site manager for the Minnesota US Senate recount. Farrell believes strongly in grassroots organizing and has demonstrated his ability to bring the community together. He is not afraid to hit the streets and talk to his potential constituents, and he tries to act in their best interests. Paul supports issues like an elected Mayor, and reorganizing the school community to work more effectively. However, he additionally prioritizes the creation of a sustainable waterfront for our city. While we’re not sure how that priority will play out on the Commission, Paul is one of the few at-large candidates who we feel would do a great job engaging and listening to the Portland community.

Thomas Elliman

Endorsed Vote: No

Having never been a politician and having lived in Portland for about two years, Thomas Elliman feels he’ll bring a set of fresh eyes to the Commission’s process. On a number of issues—moving to an elected mayor, re-districting the city, and public financing—Elliman wants to hear more from experts and from the public before he makes any decisions. However, he would be disinclined to modify the Charter to allow non-citizens to vote and would consider appointing two to three members of the School Committee to the Commission. Elliman’s background in public relations and advertising may prove useful in engaging voters in the Charter Commission process; he’s interested in using networking sites like Facebook and other online tools. While Elliman’s enthusiasm is welcome, his self-perceived status as an “outsider” is a bit troubling—his work and life experience seem similar to other candidates, and he, like many others, is an older white man. Given that he’s said his outsider status is what really distinguishes him from other candidates, we’ve decided to pass.

Jim Gooch

Endorsed Vote: Yes

Jim Gooch, like many Portlanders, loves the balance between Portland’s “big city” offerings and its tight-knit, small town feel. As a Commissioner, he would aim to strike a balance that was similarly delicate. Gooch’s approach initially emphasizes both identifying the concerns that residents have about Portland’s governance and teasing out the qualities that those residents love about the city. From there, he’d plan to work with other Commissioners in developing the best solutions to those problems. For that reason, he approaches a number of issues with an open mind: he supports an elected Mayor “if it’s done right;” and would consider re-districting and modifying the Charter to allow non-citizens to vote in municipal races. Gooch also brings a number of progressive concepts to the table and would explore instant run-off voting, resident requirements for department heads, and other new ideas. If that’s not enough, this 35-year-old attorney offers his specialty in local government law and his experience working with municipalities’ approaches to conservation and land-use provisions. We at the League think Gooch’s wealth of experience, his emphasis on process, and his dedication to addressing the root causes of Portland’s concerns would make him an excellent Commissioner.

Anna Trevorrow

Endorsed Vote: No

Anna Trevorrow is currently the Chair of the Maine Green Party and is excited about this historic opportunity to make positive changes in the governing document of the city. She hopes the move to an elected mayor will increase executive accountability and clarify the authority of the Mayor, and she would support reallocating many of the duties of the City Manager to the elected Mayor in order to create more visibility and functionality. She believes that there needs to be greater accountability for all city officials and would consider redistricting to maximize representation in a neighborhood-oriented manner. She wants to make Portland politics more accessible, with less money involved and a more grassroots approach. She is frustrated with the overspending in the Portland School Department and proposes that 100% of the financial responsibilities be moved to the City Council. The school, she says, should be seen just another department within the city. She hopes to actively engage with neighborhood associations and other organizations to seek input from the public. She is particularly focused on getting more young people involved in politics and hopes to help sustain a more creative economy in Portland. Anna is a young activist, and we would encourage her to run again for office; however, we feel she lacks an intimate understanding of the inner workings of the issues she'd face on the Charter Commission regarding school budget consolidation and elected Mayor responsibilities. We like Anna's ideas, and encourage her to run again in the future.

James Cohen

Endorsed Vote: Yes

James Cohen is well known in Portland as a former City Councilor and former appointed Mayor. He has dedicated his time outside of his work as a lobbyist to sitting on non-profit boards, developing his neighborhood’s new organization, and being a father. His list of qualifications and experiences is extensive, well rounded, and directly applicable to being a member of the Charter Commission. Paired with a sense of direction for the city, Jim believes these qualities make him an ideal candidate. He cites “institutional barriers” as major hindrances to the implementation of sensible ideas and to government efficiency. When pushed to elaborate, he explains that programs or directives lack sufficient promotion and collaboration to become viable. He says that good ideas - like "Volunteer Portland,” a plan to mobilize citizens and offer the city and schools an almost expense-free workforce; and "Sustainable Portland,” a comprehensive report on maintaining a stable economy, environment, and community - flounder in obscurity while the problems persist. He wants to integrate all the city's far-reaching goals with its infrastructure and make sure that as many people as possible know about it. Jim proudly stands by his reputation as a proactive and responsive public servant and plans to expand upon his own brand of "experienced and balanced" representation.

Madeline Segal

Endorsed Vote: No

Madeline Segal comes from a legacy of public service. Her father was mayor twice and served on the City Council for over 20 years. Her experience on the Police Citizen Review Board for her second term has given her the know-how to speak up about issues that she feels are important. While on the Board, Madeline reached out to her neighbors in her community by bringing them to the Board to assist them in speaking up for themselves when they felt that they had been mistreated. Madeline also has experience working and volunteering for the Portland Public Schools. She would like to see more collaboration and accountability within the city of Portland's elected / appointed representatives. Madeline is hesitant to say whether she would support an elected Mayor, modify the relationship between the School Committee and City Council, or make a move toward redistricting before being educated about the details and more research. While we appreciate her desire to serve the public and our community, Madeline’s vagueness on many issues regarding the Charter Commission makes us wonder whether she is really trying to keep an open mind or if she hasn’t done her groundwork on the issues.

Ed Suslovic

Endorsed Vote: No

Ed Suslovic has an impressive list of experiences, ranging from former Mayor and City Councilor to board member of organizations throughout the state. He was a leading proponent and sponsor of the Charter Commission referendum, and he is excited about having an open dialogue with the public throughout this process. He hopes to increase citizen participation and improve the accountability of our elected officials by creating an elected Mayor and looking at the current structure within the City Council. He would consider redistricting if a compelling case were made; wants to remove barriers between departments for greater flexibility and efficiency; and wants to look at how to better meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population in a transparent and accessible manner. He specifically hopes to address the relationship between the City Council and School Committee with two separate budgets. He wants to create a forum for the public to have the opportunity to debate the goals for our city. He is very excited about the opportunity to work on the Charter: “‘Policy-Wonk’ heaven!” Ed has a strong preference for regional solutions, recognizing the need to both focus on Portland-based issues and be able to work with other communities in Maine. Ed has a wealth of knowledge about serving the city of Portland. He sees the Charter Commission as an opportunity to continue serving.

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