Locke, 18, captures Oakfield selectman seat

    OAKFIELD, Maine – Oakfield’s town meeting was all business-as-usual, but voters may have made local history at the ballot box this year.
On Monday, voters chose Taylor Locke, an 18-year-old high school student, to fill one of two vacancies on their board of selectmen. Locke, who won the office with 50 votes, beat four other candidates including incumbent Dennis Small and came in second to incumbent Willis Green, who received 69 votes. Both Locke and Green will serve 3-year terms on the board.
    In addition to elections, Oakfield voters also approved a $540,000 municipal budget at this year’s town meeting. That total, up slightly from last year, includes $188,000 for public works, $158,504 for administration and $59,614 for the Oakfield Fire Department.
Roughly 40 people attended the meeting.
Town Manager Dale Morris was upbeat about the prospects of working with what may be the town’s youngest selectman.
“This is a great thing for Oakfield,” he added.
Current selectman Jim Sholler said Locke was the youngest selectman he remembers in Oakfield and that having “young blood” on the board would be a bonus for the town.
“We need young people who can learn all this from the bottom up,” he said.
Locke, the son of Cheryl and Kevin Locke, was modest about his win.
“Any time a small town votes, you never know what could happen,” he said. “I’m just really looking forward to working with members of the board and serving the best interests of the people.”
Locke also extended appreciation to all those who voted in his favor.
“I’d really like to thank everyone for their support,” he added.
After graduating from Southern Aroostook Community School, Locke said he is planning to attend the University of Maine at Orono next fall to study business management.
“I’ve always been interested in politics,” he added. “It might be something I’ll have a career in down the road.”
For anyone else interested in local politics, Oakfield has one more vacancy on its board. Selectman Linnwood Hersey resigned recently due to illness; a special election is expected to be held in June to fill that vacancy.