Printer-friendly version Reader Comments

By SETH HARKNESS, Staff Writer October 31, 2007

A former Biddeford city councilor is competing with a current member of the city's School Committee for the Ward 1 seat on the Biddeford City Council.

Ronald Peaker, who represented Ward 1 on the council from 2001 to 2003, faces School Committee member Patricia Boston in the race for Ward 1, which encompasses Biddeford's coastal neighborhoods.

Peaker, who is also a past member of the School Committee, said he would examine every aspect of the city budget to trim spending. He said he would try to pass a municipal hiring freeze to bring the city's budget under control.

Boston said she, too, would focus on the city's finances and would look to partner with neighboring communities to operate more efficiently. She said she also supports efforts to revitalize downtown and would work to remove Maine Energy Recovery Company from downtown and to initiate a citywide recycling program.

PATRICIA BOSTON

AGE: 53

ADDRESS: 60 Hills Beach Road

PERSONAL: Married, two children

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s in nursing, University of Southern Maine; master’s in nursing, University of Alabama

OCCUPATION: Nursing informaticist

POLITICAL/CIVIC EXPERIENCE: Member of Biddeford School Committee, Biddeford Cable TV Committee, Hill’s Beach Association, Biddeford Coastal Coalition, ANA-Maine, Friends of UNE Steering Committee; past member of Biddeford Charter Revision Commission

ON THE ISSUES: Boston said she would work for continued and sustained improvement in the city’s financial performance. She said she wants to see Biddeford become “more effective and efficient in providing city and school services by identifying benchmarks, implementing best practices and partnering with neighboring communities where feasible.” She said the development of downtown is another goal. She said she supports “the efforts of the many groups working to bring businesses and customers to our downtown” and would “promote the restoration of the mill complex for business, residential and community uses.” Boston said she would also work to move MERC from downtown, institute citywide recycling, and expand efforts to make Biddeford a “cool city.”

RONALD PEAKER

AGE: 71

ADDRESS: 4 Winter Harbor Lane

PERSONAL: Married, two children

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s from University of Vermont, master’s in business administration from Tulane University.

OCCUPATION: Retired regional sales manager with Ford Motor Co.

POLITICAL/CIVIC EXPERIENCE: Former Biddeford city councilor representing Ward 1 from 2001 to 2003; member of the Biddeford School Committee from 1995 to 1997. Member of MERC Advisory Committee and former member of city policy and charter review committees

ON THE ISSUES: Peaker said he would work to control the city’s expanding budget by “looking carefully at every expenditure.” He said he believes the city should put in place a hiring freeze and look at combining jobs to reduce its payroll. He said other potential ways to save money are to use school department vehicles more efficiently and look at combining the school and city finance departments. The candidate said another priority of his would be to improve communication at all levels of city government. Peaker said communication between the city and the school department has become too argumentative. He said the council needs to do a better job of communicating with residents as well. Peaker, who has twice sued the city over what he considered unfair property assessments and won, said he would also try to create a more equitable system of valuating property. He said the current system is inconsistent and needs a thorough overhaul by an outside agency.