WILTON — The election of two selectmen and a school board director will be held Tuesday, June 4, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Office.

The five candidates answered questions during a recent informational session hosted by the Wilton Group. Portions of their answers with additional comments are included here.

Selectman D. Scott Taylor is running unopposed for re-election, while Tiffany Maiuri and Ray Lagasse seek the seat vacated by Selectman Russell Black.

James Black and Margaret Donaghue are running for a seat on the RSU 9 Board of Directors vacated by Robert Pullo.

* D. Scott Taylor, 48, owner/operator of Taylor Made Homes, Inc.

“I believe the town of Wilton has “turned the corner” away from the huge exodus of jobs and people that we have experienced in the past 20 years,” Taylor said. “We still have a lot of work to do to revitalize the downtown area and overseeing the deconstruction of the former Forster Mill, but I think we are headed in the right direction.”

He said he would like the opportunity to help the town continue in that direction.

Taylor said he doesn’t see manufacturing returning on the same scale as years ago.  He suggests capitalizing on natural resources for eco-tourism. 

“We may not get Wilton as it was before but as good as it was before,” he said.

Taylor said he believes the library is an integral part of the downtown but would like to see less tax money going to the library.

He said one way to keep the cost of schools down was the development of Tax Increment Financing districts to help shelter new growth from the amount of state assessment for Wilton.

* Tiffany Maiuri, 47, works in Information Technology, Director of Application Development throughout the University of Maine system.

A retired merchant marine officer, Maiuri said she brings a depth of experience to the board.  She is a creative, career businesswoman and an innovative problem solver with a project management background, she said. She has experience in marketing, grant writing, contract bidding and networking.

Maiuri wants to balance the natural beauty of Wilton with expansion of business by expanding TIF districts and bringing more technology companies, such as Sykes and Barclays, to town.

“Expand while keeping downtown just as pristine,” she said.

A library trustee, Maiuri said the library is the heart of Wilton.

“How healthy the library is reflects the health of this town,” she added.

Expansion of business would also expand the town’s tax base, which helps with school taxes, she said.

*  Ray Lagasse, 69, retired.

“I feel that my diverse life experiences as a veteran and 37 years of experience at International Paper paper mill have enriched me with the skills that are needed to be an affective selectman,” he said.  “I believe that the implementation of the Economic Development Plan will lead Wilton on a path to developing the needs of the town.”

The plan is already in place, it just needs to be executed, Lagasse said.

A supervisor for 27 of his 37 years at IP, Lagasse said he has worked with people for a long time. He said those experiences could help him on the board. He would bring new blood and a different perspective, he said.

Although not a library patron, Lagasse sees it as a viable part of the town.

* James Black, 32, is a teacher at Skowhegan Area High School and a small business owner.

“Education is our future. We have to take it seriously,” Black said of his passion for children and education.

He said his diverse background, including work as a police officer, business owner and teacher, will benefit his work on the school board.

Balancing taxes against the needs of the school is a continuing issue, he said. He wants to do the best for students but sees inefficiencies within the school system.

“We have to live within our means,” he said.

Black said he wants to run schools like businesses, with the focus on creating the product — students — most effectively.

He said he the library should stay but it may need to change on the inside from books and newspapers to digital documents and add Wi-Fi or an Internet cafe to bring young people in.

* Margaret Donaghue, 50, legal researcher.

“In my mother’s words, ‘if you want a better community, roll up your sleeves,”” Donaghue said of her decision to run.

She said she would listen to people and consider what they say, do her homework and research before making decisions.

As a researcher, she’s creative and has to look at things like a puzzle to find the solution, she said.

She serves on the town’s Board of Appeals. She has volunteered for Wilton’s Recreation Department and Wilton PTF, fundraising $5,000 to bring children’s theater to Wilton. She has served as a volunteer in the classroom, a room parent and a teacher substitute in Wilton and Jay schools and as a Girl Scout leader.

Donaghue said the next three years may be tough, with a new facility at the high school and declining enrollment statewide.

“We need to be smart and resourceful, look at everything line by line,” she said. “We must ask what do we need and how can we do this?

“A free public library is the bedrock of America,” she said. “I plan to be at town meeting to support them.”

The Wilton Group is an organization of local individuals, businesses, government and civic leaders. Its mission is to “preserve, enhance and promote the unique character” of the town by “facilitating communication, engagement and cooperation,” according to its website, wiltongroup.org

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