Name: Charles (Chuck) Cunnigham

Address: 297 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay

Occupation: Evening operations manager Hannaford, Boothbay Harbor

Education: Boothbay Region High School Class of 1984

Political history: current member and vice chairman and former chairman of Boothbay Region Refuse District, former Boothbay selectman (former chairman and vice chairman), former member and vice chairman Boothbay planning board, past member of the Comprehensive Planning Committee, past member of Boothbay Parks and Recreation Committee, past member of the Route 27 Corridor Commission, past member of Lincoln County Budget Advisory Committee, past member and chairman of St. Andrews Task Force, past member and vice chairman of Boothbay Administrative Code Review Committee.

Clubs and organizations: Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 32, Boothbay Region Health Center board of directors, and past member of Boothbay Region Lions Club.

Considering the position you are running for, what do you feel are the three most pressing issues?

The three most pressing are keeping Boothbay a great place to live and work, maintaining a stable budget and moving Boothbay into the future without losing the past. Boothbay has grown in the past 20 years and will continue to do so as we move into the future. We need to continue to grow to help maintain a healthy mill rate as expenses keep going up. We need to continue working together with other local municipalities to cut costs where practical. We need to keep a close eye on the budget. Expenses need looking at as needs versus wants on the municipal level, just as each of us do with our own personal budgets. We need to look at both the future and present when we are looking at infrastructure. If we continue to plan for the future as we are going along, it will help to reduce future costs. We need to continue to make Boothbay an attractive place to live and work for both our current residents and those who may move here in the future, and also make Boothbay affordable.

Any other thoughts on why you are running or what you can bring to the office?

It has always been a pleasure to serve the town and its residents. I’m always willing to listen to both sides of an issue before making a decision. I hope you’ve found me to be fair in working towards a decision on any issue that has come before me in the past. I’m always available to discuss an idea or concern that you may have. I’m a lifetime resident of Boothbay, My wife Nancy and I live on a farm that has been in my family for generations. I’ve seen many changes to Boothbay and the Boothbay region growing up here. Some changes I’ve liked and others I’ve disliked. If elected to the board, I will use a common sense approach to work through changes as we move forward into the future as a town. I hope I’ve earned your trust and respect as I seek another term as one of your selectmen.