Downeast: Two top Washington County finance officials resign

banner that states by judith meyer, the editor of monitor local

Machias will watch the special deer hunt in Tremont next month and may adopt a similar hunt next year to reduce the deer population downtown.

Maine Game Warden Joseph McBrine told the Machias Select Board that residents who feed deer are the main cause of the overpopulation, and he encouraged them to stop.

We have a story this week about the scale of the problem and what the Select Board might do.

We also have a story from this week’s Washington County Commission meeting, where the provisional treasurer and finance manager announced their resignations. They say they are leaving because of hostility and poor communication in the office. The resignations come as the county is in the throes of budget planning for 2027.

Last week, we had a story on concerns about pedestrian safety in Lubec. This week, we have an update on what the Maine Department of Transportation and town officials plan to do about it.

Early voting has started, and the League of Women Voters of Downeast and The Maine Monitor will host a series of online Q&A forums for legislative candidates in Washington County this month.

The first, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, will feature incumbent Rep. Matthew McIntyre and his challenger, Jonathan Goble. On Friday, Oct. 23, incumbent Rep. William Tuell and his challenger, Genevieve Lemire, will participate in a 5:30 p.m. forum. Rep. Tiffany Strout and her challenger, Keith Newman, will follow at 6:30 p.m. For more information and to register, go to lwvme.org/Events.

LWVME does not host candidate forums when only one candidate is represented in a race. It will not hold a forum for House District 9 candidate Arthur Mingo, who is running unopposed. It also will not hold a forum for Senate District 6 because organizers could not find a date when Sen. Billy Bob Faulkingham could join his challenger, Aaron Dana.

For more information on Washington County races, please take a look at our voter guide. You can enter your home address and find out who will be on your ballot, along with information about each of those candidates.

Have a great weekend and please share this newsletter with family members and friends. They can sign up on our website to have it delivered to their inbox each Saturday.

Thank you for reading,

Judy

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Two top Washington County finance officials resign citing hostile work environment: The provisional treasurer’s resignation took effect Friday, while the finance manager will step down Oct. 22, leaving the department facing further leadership turnover. Read this story by Judith Meyer

Lubec to install radar speed signs to improve traffic and pedestrian safety: Town shifts recycling hours, expands Public Works Department staff and reviews fuel fund reserves ahead of winter. Read this story by Ethan Bien

Washington County Jail administrator makes case for increasing wages: Overcrowding at the facility has created pressure for employees, with the average daily population well beyond the 42 inmates the facility is rated to hold. Read this story by Judith Meyer

Calais School Committee backs planning for student trip to Ireland, Scotland and England: The proposed trip is tentatively scheduled for spring break 2028; fundraisers would help students cover costs. Read this story by Melissa S. Razdrih

Machias considers special hunt to curb downtown deer population: Citing years of vehicle strikes, town leaders explore a culling effort modeled after Tremont. Read this story by Evan W. Houk

Check out your county’s updated voter guide: Read our Q&As with candidates running for county commission, learn about the responsibilities of Maine’s elected officials, including lesser-known offices like probate judges and county commissioners, and so much more. Find your county's voter guide

How candidates for governor would change Maine health care policy: A look at the health care plans put forward by Bobby Charles, Hannah Pingree and Rick Bennett. Read this story by Emily Bader

How candidates for Maine governor want to turn around education: Each lamented the decline of standardized test scores and shared differing ideas for how the state government should respond. Read this story by Erin Rhoda and Megan Blongien

How Maine candidates for governor would address the housing shortage: Permitting and tax reform, supporting local labor and state investment are all common threads in the Blaine House race. Read this story by Caitlin Andrews

Maine parties are propping up independents where their own brands have eroded: An independent will face only one major party legislative candidate in more than twice as many races this year than in any election since at least 2010. Read this story by Daniel O'Connor of The Maine Monitor and Bangor Daily News

Bobby Charles said he is transparent but hasn’t released a full personal financial statement: The Republican nominee for governor is demanding transparency from other candidates, while his campaign has not sent his personal financial disclosure to The Maine Monitor as it said it would. Read this story by Matt Junker

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The following stories are from other newsrooms. While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind a paywall, some newsrooms we link to below may. Paywalled stories are followed by a ($). We encourage you to consider supporting local Maine newsrooms.

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A projected $1.3 billion budget shortfall has become a political issue | Spectrum News

Pros and cons of AOS and RSU school units weighed | Quoddy Tides

Renewed investment into fossil fuels at the federal level is expected to increase energy prices in Maine | Public News Service

Rising natural gas prices and repair costs are behind much of the steep increase in electric bills | Maine Public

Court rules CLF's case against Cooke Aquaculture can proceed | Quoddy Tides

Mainers may qualify to be compensated for their purchase of generic prescriptions, thanks to a series of national settlements | WMTW

Maine State Archives is expanding digital access to state records | Daily Bulldog

Ending the federal 'roadless' rule could threaten these Maine forests | Maine Public

Ferry Point Bridge in Calais to close for repairs | WABI

The Maine Monitor is a hiring a criminal justice reporter and a Monitor Local managing editor. Click the banner for more details and to apply.

Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. You can reach Monitor Local editor Judith Meyer directly via email: judy@themainemonitor.org.

The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support.

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