Gorham voters will choose three Town Councillors and two School Committee members on November 5, each for three-year terms. Profiles of the seven candidates running for the Council appeared in the last issue of the Gorham Times and can be reviewed here. See this article for information about the three School Committee candidates. Robert Burns is running unopposed for the Portland Water District.

Voters will also decide whether or not to authorize the Town to borrow $5,900,000 to finance the cost of 141 acres of vacant land, including initial infrastructure, with frontage on Main Street for development into an industrial park. To offset the initial taxpayer investment, other sources of revenue including the proceeds from lot sales and future tax increment funding (TIF) may be used to recoup costs of purchasing or developing the property. The Town Council recommends a “yes” vote.

There are two questions on the State ballot. Question 1 asks if voters “favor a $105,000,000 bond issue to build or improve roads, bridges” and other transportation investments. These monies would be used to match an estimated $137,000,00 in federal and other funds.

Question 2 asks if voters want to amend the Maine Constitution to authorize persons with disabilities to use an alternative method of signing petitions as authorized by the Legislature. Election law already allows people unable to sign their own names to election documents such as registration applications to have a Maine-registered voter to sign on the voter’s behalf at the direction of the voter. Adoption of this proposed constitutional amendment would permit the Legislature to adopt a method for people with disabilities to sign citizen’s initiative petitions and people’s veto petitions as well.