MADAWASKA, Maine — A candidate on the ballot for a three-year seat on Madawaska’s selectboard in the upcoming June 10 election has dropped out of the race. Steven Deschaine announced via social media last week that he was exiting the race to tend to family matters.
Although Deschaine has dropped out, he said it was too late to get his name taken off the municipal ballot. He said he fully endorses Paul Chasse, his opponent on the ballot, and has asked everyone else to do the same.
“I plan on running in the future when the time is right because it was something I really wanted to do,” Deschaine said.
Chasse, 43, is a Republican, and currently works as the director of safety and facilities for the town’s school department. This involves safety coordination along with facility maintenance, which includes cleaning, HVAC and overseeing security cameras and access control systems.
He has also been on the local fire department since 2004 and on the police department as a reserve officer since 2009.
Chasse graduated Madawaska Middle/High School in 200 and then graduated from Northern Maine Community College in 2004 with a degree in computer electronics and information technology. He later attended the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and afterward worked for the Van Buren Police Department. He also worked in the IT department for the Madawaska school system before taking on the director of safety and facilities role.
Chasse said he has been considering running for the town’s board of selectmen for the past five years. And since the start of the new year, he said several community members have reached out to him and asked if he would run.
“My motivation is simply serving the community,” Chasse said. “I’ve been in public safety for a good part of my life, so I think of this as a different way to serve the public which will also allow me to affect change.”
Chasse said he is not approaching the position with a particular agenda.
“My goal is to approach every challenge with an open mind and a collaborative spirit, drawing on my past experiences to think creatively and explore potential cost-saving solutions,” he said. “Each member of the board brings a different background and set of skills to the table, and together, those diverse experiences strengthen the team’s overall effectiveness.”
