Political newcomer Raymond MacLearn is challenging Yarmouth Town Council incumbents Heather Abbott and David Craig in the race for two three-year seats.
Voters will cast their ballots for two councilors June 11.
Abbott
Abbott
Abbott, who has served on the Town Council since 2020, is seeking reelection because “there is still so much to be done,” she said, including passing the town’s Comprehensive Plan, actualizing the goals outlined in the recently passed Climate Action Plan and advancing affordable housing projects.
“It’s important to me that I am here to use my voice to tip the scales in the favor of progress and fairness,” she said in an email to The Forecaster.
Her biggest accomplishment on the council so far, she said, has been spearheading a resolution that established June as Pride Month, signaling the town’s support for LGBTQ+ community members.
“I am also proud of establishing student participation on town committees because it is so important that we listen to and hear our youth voices,” she said.
Looking ahead, she thinks the council will have to confront the challenge of balancing investment in crucial services – like the school system – with maintaining a responsible tax rate despite inflation.
Voters should cast a ballot for her if they want a champion of progressive, inclusive policy on Town Council, she said.
She currently works in the school nutrition department at Frank H. Harrison Middle School.
Craig
The current council chairman, Craig is a longtime fixture in Yarmouth local politics. He was first elected to the council in 2012 and was reelected in 2015. After taking a break because of term limits, he successfully ran again in 2021.
Craig
Craig said he’s motivated to seek reelection because being on the Town Council allows him to “make an immediate and direct positive impact to people’s lives.” He pointed to his work implementing the Senior Tax Assistance Yarmouth program in 2016 as an example of that positive impact.
The STAY program is a property tax rebate for residents 67 and older who make below a certain household income threshold that aims to keep Yarmouth affordable for people as they age.
“In the STAY program’s existence we’ve rebated nearly a million dollars to qualifying households,” Craig said.
Craig also highlight his dedication to environmental issues, including his work on the town’s recent Climate Action Plan, which will serve as the town’s roadmap for becoming more resilient in the face of the climate emergency.
Craig said he’s committed to listening to community members, playing the role of mediator when grievances arise, and in addition to keeping on top of the priorities outlined above, he wants to push forward the town’s ongoing work on affordable housing and help get the town’s updated Comprehensive Plan over the finish line.
Craig’s educational background is in physics and electrical engineering and he works for Onsemi, a technology company.
MacLearn
In his first campaign for elected office, MacLearn has a simple pitch for voters: taxes are too high, and he’s running to change that.
“If it keeps going up at 9% a year, I won’t be able to stay here on fixed income,” he said.
MacLearn
A Yarmouth native who has lived most of his adult life in town, MacLearn is retired and relies on Social Security and his part-time job at L.L.Bean to cover his expenses.
The council recently approved $58.8 million town-school budget that would increase taxes roughly 9% for fiscal year 2025. Residents can have their say on the budget at the June 4 Town Meeting.
MacLearn said that he “would like to see across the board cuts of 3% (for) all department(s).”
MacLearn was in the Coast Guard for 21 years, during which time he did stints in Florida and Virginia.
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