In November of 2022, I was elected by the great people of Gorham to serve as a Town Councilor. Having moved around so many times in my life, I am ecstatic to finally have a place to call home and a community to call my own. I plan on living right here in this house for the rest of my life.
Now, as 2023 ends, I am reflecting on my past year as a Town Councilor and what I learned. As I write this, I’m also looking at my two-month-old baby next to me and thinking about the future and the Gorham where she will grow up. This is the perfect opportunity to share three lessons I’ve learned over the past 12 months and what the next year holds.
Lesson 1: Change is Possible but Slow and Small
I often walk from my house over to Narragansett Elementary and back again. Along that walk are two green Garbage to Garden compost bins next to the pickleball courts. One of the first motions I put forward as a councilor was getting composting in Gorham. Seeing those green bins, free for anyone in town to use, reminds me that I can make change, even if it happens very slowly and in small ways. Change won’t happen overnight, but we can take incremental steps to make this town better every single day.
Lesson 2: Change is Hard and Preservation is Harder
This year I began reading the “History of Gorham Maine,” by Hugh McLellan. It’s a tome containing incredible details and anecdotes from even before settlers arrived on the land of what is now Gorham. Gorham has a spirit and a culture that I want to preserve, but the tools I have as a councilor to preserve and conserve land are very limited, especially when up against private property rights being leveraged by for-profit developers. This means to properly keep the spirit of Gorham strong, I need to work harder at creative solutions for funding, land, and ordinance changes. It will take all of us to preserve the Gorham we love.
Lesson 3: Some Change Needs to Come with Help from the State
When I speak to councilors in other towns, I hear stories that remind me Gorham isn’t alone in the problems we are facing. Many municipalities in Maine are struggling with housing costs, school budgets, and preserving farmland, just to name a few. Each town working alone will not be able to solve these problems. When “Gorham problems” are actually state-wide problems, that is when the state legislature needs to work on solutions, and it is on me to bring my voice, expertise, and perspective as a Town Councilor to help fix these problems for Gorham and our neighbors.
What does the next year look like?
For my next year as a councilor, and for the first year of my baby’s life, I think it is most important that we all stay optimistic, put in the work, and make positive changes where we can. What makes Gorham truly unique are the people; the volunteers and the town staff put in so much hard work, and no other town has such amazing people dedicated to their community. Seeing others care so much about Gorham is what keeps me going on tough days, and in the next year, I hope the work I do keeps you going on a tough day.
Please reach out if you want to talk about anything happening in town. You can email me at ssiegel@gorham.me.us, or call/text at (207) 200-7341.