CARIBOU, Maine — Candidates for Caribou City Council each answered about a dozen questions on local issues during an Oct. 24 public forum, letting voters know where they stand before Election Day on Nov. 5.
Incoming candidates Roger Felix, Milo Haney and Doug Morrell are running with incumbents David Martin and Joan Theriault for two three-year seats on city council.
Felix, 52, is a Stockholm native and Caribou High School graduate. He served in the United States Army for 22 years, traveled across the globe, and returned to Caribou after retiring in 2006. He works with Loring Job Corps and also serves at the Lister-Knowlton VFW Post 9389 in Caribou, among other volunteer organizations.
Haney, 68, is a Caribou native. He and his wife Priscilla, along with their children, have all attended Caribou schools. Haney and his family have owned C & J Service Center on Route 89 in Caribou for 43 years, and he has been involved in several local clubs, including previously serving as the Sportsman’s Club president.
Morrell, 57, was born and raised in Caribou, where he continues to live with his wife Jennia. He has three children and five grandchildren, and has owned the local business SFE Manufacturing for 29 years. Morrell is also a graduate of Caribou High School.
Martin, 69, has lived in Caribou since 1970. He and his wife Joan have been married for 49 years. They have two children and five grandchildren. For 43 years and counting, Martin has worked as a math teacher and tutor in Caribou schools. Martin currently sits on Caribou City Council, a position he has held for the past 12 years.
Theriault, 72, was born and raised in Caribou and graduated from Caribou High School in 1965. She has always lived in Caribou. Theriault and her husband Paul have been married for 53 years and have one daughter. She is a retired property and casualty insurance agent and has owned and operated the River’s Bend Mobile Home Park with her husband since 1987.
The first question posed to councilors asked about their perception of the city’s greatest concern and its greatest need.
Haney said Caribou’s greatest concern is its declining population, and that its greatest need is to become an affordable place to live.
“As long as we keep raising taxes like we have for the past 10 years,” Haney said, “no business is going to want to come here.”
Martin agreed that the city’s declining population is its greatest concern, adding that councilors and residents should do everything they can “to make this town inviting” to new residents and businesses.
Morrell also agreed about the city’s declining population, and said Caribou’s greatest need is to prevent this decline from continuing.
“A lot of ideas have been thrown out there over the years,” Morrell said, “and they just fail to work. I’m a believer that it is the city’s financial foundation preventing this.”
Theriault, like the others, agreed about the population, and said the city should focus on keeping “young people from leaving after they finish school,” and also how to keep seniors from retiring in outside communities.
“The need is providing the types of jobs and social amenities that make young people want to stay,” Theriault said.
Felix said he agreed about population, adding that he thinks “we’re missing the big picture on how and why we’re stuck in this mode of saying we’ve tried that before,” and that a “doom and gloom” attitude about the city will not help its situation.
“We need to focus on the positive things,” he said. “We have some of the best schools in the state, an award-winning hospital, the first VA clinic in the nation, and some of the biggest veteran organizations in the state. Let’s focus on the positive things and let’s get Caribou on the map.”
Councilors were then asked how they would help attract new businesses to the city.
Martin said he’d like to focus on keeping the businesses that are already in Caribou by engaging with them and asking them “what they need and want.” He added that the city manager recently began visiting local businesses on a regular basis to listen to their concerns.
“There’s a need to increase the tax base, and again that goes back to the population,” Martin said. “We should advertise the things we have. This place is not for everybody, but it is for a lot of people.”
Morrell said that, as a 29-year business owner, he’s “seen good times and a fair amount of bad times,” adding that the cost of operating a business and living in the city is “one of the biggest issues” facing the community.
“I’m not saying it’s any different from any other community,” he said, “but it’s all about growing the base. I will be supporting efforts to make Caribou more financially attractive to businesses.”
Theriault said she doesn’t believe these issues “can be solved right away,” but that she supports growing the population over time, along with the infrastructure and “doing what we can to make Caribou more attractive.”
“One of the things we’re doing now is blight cleanup,” Theriault said, adding that offering incentives for vacant city property may also help improve the city’s appearance to incoming businesses and residents.
Felix said he felt that many economic development organizations consist of business owners who do not want any competition.
“I heard recently of someone going to NMDC,” he said, “and the people there told them to go to Presque Isle. If someone is going to bring a new business to Caribou, what is Caribou going to do to help them? How are we going to incentivize new businesses? We have buildings here that are empty.”
Haney said that access to high-speed internet for all residents would significantly help anyone with aspirations of starting a new business, adding that the city should make an effort to provide this service for all residents.
“The other thing is to lower taxes,” Haney said, “or give out more TIFs. They’ve been offered before and have helped businesses stay here.”
When asked if they supported cutting taxes as the population continues to decline, candidates offered a variety of unique responses.
Martin said that, when looking at the budget in the past as a councilor, he always tried to find the “right balance of what people want and what people can afford.” He said he currently does not support cutting taxes. He said it may need to be a consideration if a “tipping point” is reached in terms of population decline, adding that he doesn’t “think we’re there yet.”
Morrell said he supports cutting taxes as the population continues to shrink, “if due diligence supports it.”
Theriault, like Martin, said that in an extreme circumstance she may consider looking at consolidating services by working with surrounding communities, but that it this point she is not considering it.
“Even if the population declines,” Theriault said, “the infrastructure is still there. We have streets, roads, and plows, and these things still need to be maintained.”
Felix was “absolutely” opposed to cutting taxes.
“If we cut any services we currently have, we’re just going to lose out on the advantages of people looking at us an optimal place to come,” Felix said. “And in addition to that, I’ve never been able to put a price tag on any life I’ve been around. If we cut services, we might lose a life. And there’s no price on a life.”
Haney said that councilors and department heads should “work together to bring down the budget.”
“It can be done,” he said. “Each department is going to say they can’t, but at the end of the day if we have any hope of holding on to what we still have, we have to do it. I believe in time the departments will adjust and change. As you can see, the city has not been growing whatsoever, and it needs some change for that to happen.”
Candidates were in complete agreement on a couple questions. All unanimously agreed that they would make it a priority to attend all council meetings, and all agreed that the city’s most significant asset is its people.
The election will be held 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 5, at the 55 Bennett Drive Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center.
