Primary, referendum election Tuesday

By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — The onslaught of commercials about candidates and ballot issues should ease up for a while after the statewide primary and referendum election scheduled for next Tuesday, June 8.
    Results of the primary election will determine who runs as a particular party’s candidate in the general election on Nov. 2. This is why it is often said that primary voters carry heavy sway in the entire electoral process.
    Unaffiliated voters can enroll with a particular party on primary day — June 8 — in order to vote for their candidate. However, it is too late for registered voters to switch parties for the upcoming primary.
    Locally, there could be a horse race to fill the position of District Attorney since Neal Adams is retiring from that post. Houlton’s Patrick H. Gordon will face off against his fellow assistant DAs Todd Roland Collins of Presque Isle and John M. Pluto of Hamlin — all in the Democrat column. There are no candidates listed on the Republican side for district attorney.
    Other than the race for DA, most local candidates in the Houlton area are running unopposed in their respective party primaries. Even with the option for write-ins, there probably won’t be a change in the political landscape by November.
Governor’s race
    More than 30 individuals announced their intentions to run for the big seat in Augusta soon to be vacated by Gov. John Baldacci due to term limits. Twelve candidates remain in that race — seven Republicans and five Democrats. Those numbers get whittled down to two after next Tuesday unless someone goes independent or under cover of another party.
Money issues to be decided
    Voters will also have the opportunity to decide whether or not they approve of the following measures as they appear on the June 8 ballot:
SAD 29 budget
validation referendum
    Question 1 – “Do you favor approving the Maine School Administrative District No. 29 budget for the upcoming school year that was adopted at the latest District budget meeting?”
    Question 2 – “Do you wish to continue the budget validation referendum process in Maine School Administrative District No. 29 for an additional three years?”
(Ballot’s informational
note on question 2)
    A “Yes” vote will require Maine School Administrative District No. 29 to continue to conduct a referendum to validate its annual school budget for the next three years.
    A “No” vote will discontinue the budget validation referendum for at least three years and provide instead that the annual school budget shall be finally adopted at a meeting of the voters of Maine School Administrative District No. 29.
People’s Veto
(veto of PL 2009, c. 382 “An Act To Implement Tax Relief and Tax Reform”)
    Question  1 – (People’s Veto):
    “Do you want to reject the new law that lowers Maine’s income tax and replaces that revenue by making changes to the sales tax?”
Bond Issues
    Question  2 – (Bond Issue):
    “Do you favor a $26,500,000 bond issue that will create jobs through investment in an off-shore wind energy demonstration site and related manufacturing to advance Maine’s energy independence from imported foreign oil, that will leverage $24,500,000 in federal and other funds and for energy improvements at campuses of the University of Maine System, Maine Community College System and Maine Maritime Academy in order to make facilities more efficient and less costly to operate?”
    Question  3 – (Bond Issue):
    “Do you favor a $47,800,000 bond issue to create jobs in Maine through improvements to highways, railroads and marine facilities, including port and harbor structures, and specifying the allocation of $4,000,000 of the transportation bond approved by voters in November 2009 to be used for capital rail purposes?”
    Question  4 – (Bond Issue):
    “Do you favor a $23,750,000 bond issue to provide capital investment to stimulate economic development and job creation by making investments under the Communities for Maine’s Future Program and in historic properties; providing funding for research and development investments awarded through a competitive process; providing funds for disbursements to qualifying small businesses; and providing grants for food processing for fishing, agricultural, dairy and lumbering businesses within the State and redevelopment projects at the Brunswick Naval Air Station that will make the State eligible for over $39,000,000 in federal and other matching funds?”
    Question  5 – (Bond Issue):
    “Do you favor a $10,250,000 bond issue to improve water quality, support drinking water programs and the construction of wastewater treatment facilities and to assist farmers in the development of environmentally sound water sources that will leverage $33,250,000 in federal and other funds?”
    Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Gentle Memorial Building — the “Rec Center” — 128 Main St. in Houlton.