Our Voice : Citizens For a Better Lebanon Maine » Elections 2009

Election Results 2009

Glen Stadig — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:30:08 +0000

The Election results are complete. 835 votes including 155 absentee were cast. and the results are….

Selectmen

Ron Patch – 495

Glen Stadig – 315

School Board

Betsey Clark 299
Joanne Potter 460

Budget Committee

Glen Stadig 561
Mark Stuart 22
Judy Churchard 8

Town Manager

Yes 366
No 450

Add Full Time Sheriff

Yes 321

No 498

Open Town Hall a Night Till 7pm

Yes 684
No 132

In Order by Referendum Number…(Download Referendum) (Town Published Results Here)

Y 636/192
Y 538/282
Y 603/221
Y 517/304
N 366/450
N 154/668
Y 551/274
Y 698/129
Y 730/92
Y 682/143
Y 694/132
Y 679/147
Y 618/204
Y 710/97
Y 657/167
Y 621/206
N 73/746
N 198/623
Y 660/156
Y 654/166
N 321/498
Y 527/291
Y 557/255
Y 512/307
Y 534/276
Y 646/163
Y 696/118
Y 544/263
Y 667/146
Y 534/275
Y 559/247
Y 549/255
Y 661/149
Y 685/135
Y 652/165
N 255/543
N 204/608
Y 448/362
Y 709/98
Y 639/174
Y 657/159
Y 647/162
N 224/579
Y 684/132
Y 536/260
Y 730/91
Y 644/153

Congratulation to Mr Patch…Mrs Potter, Mr. Stuart, and Mrs Churchard

I want to thank all of you who supported me at the polls, and I really appreciated all the kind words of encouragement. I am disappointed but not defeated. I will look to double my efforts for the future and ask those of you who support improvement for our Town to unite and promote best practices and sound policies throughout. I ask each of you to try to get just that little more involved, that little bit will make the difference when compounded by many.

In meeting and speaking with many of you I sense the same desires, hopes and frustrations that catapulted my creation of this website and led to my name on the ballot. I pledge to continue my efforts and encourage you again to become more involved. Thank You again for your support, together we can initiate and sustain improvement. – Glen Stadig

Meet Candidate Stadig

Glen Stadig — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:04:19 +0000

A reminder I will be at the Lebanon Elementary School this evening from 5:30 pm – 6:15 pm, later if needed. I will be available to answer any questions and look forward to listening to and learning more about your concerns. …Vote Stadig!

Selectmen Candidates Compared

Glen Stadig — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:57:25 +0000

A Foster’s Article has been released providing a comparison of your candidates for Selectmen and is available online Here. (The link has been removed per request 6/8/09…)

I highly recommend reading my article “Fosters Asks Questions” for the full responses I provided to the corespondents questions, as well as “Selectmen Candidate Stadig – Who Is He” for more info on me and my general perspectives.

I encourage you to review my articles, comments and dialog on this website to get a better idea of me as well. I need your Support and ask for your Vote!!

If you want to see our town move forward and improve, you need to support me this Tuesday, send a message, support Stadig for Selectmen.

(If you have an opportunity, please stop by to meet me this Monday at the Lebanon Elementary School from 5:30-6pm later if needed)

Foster’s Asks Questions

Glen Stadig — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:22:48 +0000

Karen Gerrish, Lebanon Correspondent for Fosters Daily Democrat and the Sanford News asked me a few questions for her upcoming article spotlighting Lebanon’s candidates for Selectmen. Below are her questions and my responses. I thought it might be beneficial for those of you who may miss her article to understand my positions and opinion. When released I will link to her article (Removed By Request 6/8/09) so you can see it in it’s entirety.

1. Wife’s name
Rose-Lynne

2. Much is currently being said about a conflict of interest policy in
town government. This year’s budget committee was forced to abstain on
several articles without a policy in effect. What is your opinion of
acquiring such a policy? Is there a need and how would you like to see
such a policy implemented?

The policy was indeed passed by Selectmen two full weeks before the
Budget Committee vote and circulated to all employees, so it was in
effect.

There is a definite need for a conflict of interest / ethics policy. I
was actually very surprised to learn the Town did not have one in place.
Most people would do the right thing without such a policy, however
there are those who would not. The policy provides necessary structure
and guidance as well as details a formal means to bring matters forward
for resolution if needed.
It is unfortunate that more people do not come forward and participate
in the Budget Committee and other boards. I am certain residents
expectations are not that, a wife, a sister and an employee, of a
“department head” would occupy three seats of the Budget Committee, but
without more general civic involvement by residents this type of
situation can occur. A policy such as our new one helps to ensure the
right thing is done in these circumstances and people do abstain. Even
though this is New for Lebanon, every other town in the area has just
such a policy.

3. What is your opinion on the new town office building and how that
was fiscally handled?

The new Town Hall cost residents far too much and continues to cost
residents money. It is an example of the best of intentions generating
the worst of results in regards to cost and management. This spring a
new granite sign was installed as well as a additional light installed
to light the flag, so costs are still being levied.
I believe no resident or contractor would have built their own home or
managed a project the way this was handled. It is troubling the building
built upon donated property has cost residents so much. The building
doesn’t even provide a dedicated conference area for Selectmen, Planning
Board, Budget Committee and or Department Head meetings.

I believe All projects in town must go out for proper public bid,
following a standardized formal procedure, with a clearly defined
specification of work to be performed. Currently this doesn’t typically
happen in a routine open way. The result…All of our projects in town
are handled much the same as the way the Town Hall project was run. I
find this fundamentally unacceptable and in great need of improvement.

4. Where did you live before Lebanon?

Before coming to Lebanon back in 2001 I lived in Acton Maine. What drew
me to Lebanon was the quaint country character of the town and the
community. You can still see this today in driving around many roads in
town. The town though is changing rapidly as many things do, and like
many residents I worry that Lebanon may not be preparing itself for the
future since we do not have a comprehensive plan. It is hard to know
where you are going if you don’t have a destination and map to get
there. This is what a comprehensive plan can provide us, direction and
focus.

5. Are you in favor of having a budget committee here in town?

I favor having a Budget Committee, this committee is the eyes of the
people. However, the Budget Committee needs to be provided accurate
figures early in the process which did not happen this past session. The
Budget Committee was also provided different figures the nights of the
meetings which caused confusion, was inefficient, wasted time and did
not allow proper review. This information exchange needs to be improved
to be more reliable and transparent. I attended most of the meetings as
an observer and placed the recordings on http://ourvoice.stadig.org for
residents to view and follow along on their own time.
I would like to note I had applied to the open Budget Committee seat
last fall and I also pulled papers to be a on the ballot for the Budget
Committee during this upcoming term. My desire and efforts are to serve
you as Selectmen, but in the event I am not elected Selectmen I wanted
an opportunity to serve as a Budget Committee member. To be clear I have
no intention or desire to do both.
My broad professional experience and fresh perspective would better
serve the town as Selectmen.

6. Are you in favor of the Selectmen appointing bud. com. members rather
than being elected by the people?

The people should elect their Budget Committee representatives, if due
to lack of participation or a person dropping out then Selectmen must be
afforded the authority to solicit candidates and appoint people to fill
such vacancies. If residents do not take an active role to participate
then Selectmen are left no option other than to solicit interest and
appoint people. I encourage more civic involvement by our residents.

7. Are you in favor of Lebanon having a town manager? What sort of
background/education should that person have? Should we share one with
another town?

I favor a Town Manager and I also favor a five member board of Selectmen
if we adopt a Town Manager plan.

In years past I would have voted against a Town Manager, viewing the
position as unnecessary and another layer of costly administration. I
have learned a Town Manager would provide the detailed oversight
required to properly handle day to day activities of the Town. They
would be an expert in state and federal grant application bringing much
needed monies to our community and ensure we efficiently manage our
people and cash resources. A Town Manager would in effect not cost the
town anything, moreover they would drive more revenue into our town and
ensure we get the most from every single dollar we do spend. This person
would seek out and implement best practices in policy, management, and
record keeping at all levels in our Town.

A Town Manager is an educated administrator with a broad background in
finance and administration. They would not be a part-timer, working to
simply do the best they can, as our Selectmen have. The Town Manager
would be a dedicated full-time professional manager of the Town, taking
direction from and reporting to the Selectmen. Current and past
Selectmen have both stated there is just too much that needs to be done
and or could be done and time and other constraints stand in the way. A
Town Manager would eliminate these constraints having the time to apply
their knowledge and expertise to steadily improve Lebanon’s ability to
handle future fiscal and community challenges.

Increasing the board of Selectmen from three to five would provide a
more balanced, consistent oversight of the Town Manager. The Selectmen
in this case should be provided only a small stipend versus an open
ended hourly wage as is the case today. All this to be done with the
goal of achieving a better, more efficient administration of the Town,
with more people involved, and in the end actually be less costly.

Our town has grown and we are one of the only towns our size in the
state that does not have a Town Manager. Some have suggested a part-time
person, or even sharing them with another Town. This might appear cost
effective and an attractive way to ease into things, but I believe it
would only serve to water down and impair the Town Manager’s
effectiveness and in the end we wouldn’t reap the benefits to the levels
expected. I am certain a good Town Manager will more than earn their
keep given the opportunity.

In general we need to adopt “best practices” in our town government and
its overall administration. With or without a Town Manager that is what
I will work toward given the opportunity. I am certain my fresh
perspective will compliment the experience of the other Selectmen. If
elected I promise to be an effective Selectmen and work to enhance the
trust, transparency, and communication in our Town, on your behalf.

You may learn more about me at http://ourvoice.stadig.org

Selectmen Candidate Stadig – Who Is He?

Glen Stadig — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:50:29 +0000

My name is Glen Stadig and I am a candidate for Selectmen,

I am 45 years old, married,and have been a resident of Lebanon for the past nine years.

Professionally I am the MIS Manager (managing and supporting computer networks, workstations, file servers, security and telephone systems) and Inventory Control Manager for a medical device manufacturer. I am a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and also a certified ISO 9000 / 13485 auditor.

I have also held positions as Safety Director for a large multi-site construction company, Quality Manager, and Self Employed Restaurateur. I was awarded the prestigious Founders Award from Cigna Insurance and Published in Contracting Magazine for success in loss control and Safety.

My personal life finds me with six grown children (3 by marriage). I am a huge fan of all the New England sports teams. My hobbies include billiards, hiking, cycling, and fly fishing for striped bass along the Maine coast.

I created the OurVoice website, in 2008 to benefit the residents of Lebanon. The website hosts audio and video recordings of the Towns Selectmen and Budget Committee meetings. You will also find an Events Calendar, News, Commentary,and Editorial all pertaining to the town. Residents are encouraged to post their own stories, events, opinions and also comment on others. This was done to improve openness and dialog amongst residents and to foster greater involvement in government, fundraisers and community activities. (http://ourvoice.stadig.org)

Why Do I Run?

In speaking with residents I repeatedly hear similar stories and examples presented of inner circles, favoritism, misinformation and an overall dissatisfaction in the way the town is administrated and it’s business is handled. In regards to Town government, Residents generally voice a certain level of apathy and frustration.

I want the best possible government for our town. A government that promotes a deep sense of civic involvement and one that is open, transparent and accountable to all it’s citizens. I want a government that applies integrity, ethical practices well beyond whats required by law, and one that maintains continuous oversight. Doing things in this manner does not get in the way of doing a good job; it’s the only way to ensure it’s done right. I believe not only can Lebanon afford to make these fundamental changes; we cannot afford not to.

I Would Like To See

I would like to see the towns Selectmen meeting a bit longer at night when residents may attend. Presently, a majority of business and meetings are handled in an informal way during the day without minutes maintained. I would further press to require minutes of all meetings, improving upon the minutes by making them more detailed, similar to what other Towns publish.

We must learn more about the systems and methods used by other towns to manage roads, departments and policies, integrating the best of those systems to Lebanon. There is no need to reinvent the wheel in this area. Routinely at meetings I have heard Lebanon misses out on grants and other State Funding opportunities because our records are lacking. Lebanon needs to become expert in keeping detailed records and applying for grants whenever and wherever we can. We then need to use these monies efficiently and in a well planned way.

Our Town needs to leverage technology to improve communication and transparency to residents and our departments. Our website can provide 24/7 customer service to residents at no extra charge.

Lebanon should provide reasonable detail of budgets and spending online via status reports, charts and similar information that is easily printed from Towns systems and easy to understand. Recordings of official meetings should be required and placed online for residents to listen to and stay informed.

The Town web space must be utilized to better promote town organizations allowing for example, a page for the Lebanon Historical Society with photos and information on items they have and to promote interest. The American Legion should have a page highlighting activities, awards and members as well as observe the passing of our fallen heroes. This can be done for many others.

We also must recognize that many of our most involved and active residents depend on receiving the printed word and we need to ensure effective printed communications are made available, striking a balance with technology needs.

It is also vital that resources the Town currently has are used effectively so they can better serve the Town. The Town Hall should adopt a rotating schedule allowing access by residents on all business days and some evenings.

Many people ask if I favor hiring a town police officer or sheriff, funding certain projects or groups, as well certain upcoming Referendums. What truly matters is how You, the residents, view things and how You vote. I will ensure the Referendums are written as clearly as possible providing you full disclosure, and provide residents as much information about ALL Town business and events as I am capable. Allowing you, the resident, to make the most informed, educated decision possible when you vote.

I will provide my opinion and make my decisions for the Town based upon research and all known facts, always listening to residents concerns and always acting in the best interest of the community at large.

It’s important we maximize and expand programs such as the free clinics for the town’s elderly and gain any additional aid possible for our citizens in need. We also need to ensure our Towns debt remains low.

Lebanon needs to be a good neighbor to other Towns and look for opportunities to exploit co-op arrangements where they make sense such as the purchase of sand, salt and other services where it makes sense and is possible.

Our Budget Committee must be provided standardized reports with sufficient detail and timely, accurate information as to not waste the efforts of these volunteers during budget review.

Vision

I want to see Lebanon retain it’s small Town charm and character. Understanding though we can’t go back to the way things used to be, we must live in today and prepare for the future. We must adopt best practices in all aspects of town management to maintain and protect what we still have, giving all residents the best value and best community experience we can.

This election matters, your voice needs to heard, to have a voice, you MUST VOTE.

I am certain my fresh perspective will compliment the experience of the other selectmen. I promise to be an effective Selectmen and work to enhance the trust, transparency, and communication on your behalf.

You can talk to me, I’m listening, and I ask you for your vote.

Glen R. Stadig

Budget Committee Write-In

Glen Stadig — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:40:35 +0000

The Budget Committee has three seats open for this coming year. Only one persons has submitted papers to be on the ballot. If you have interest in being a write-in candidate please comment this article so others may know and write your name(s) in. It would be great to see some fresh faces on the Budget Committee, and the effort doesn’t get any easier than this.

Vote – Stadig – for Selectmen

Glen Stadig — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:47:00 +0000