The two candidates are members of the City Council who have served multiple terms and previously held the position of deputy mayor.
Mayor Mark Johnston did not seek re-election.
Michaud, a technology coordinator at Thornton Academy, listed living within the constraints of LD 1, school district reorganization and implementing a solution to the Camp Ellis erosion problem as the most pressing concerns for the city. He advocated examining the state's school consolidation plan but said he would only support it if it benefited educational opportunities for Saco students and created property tax savings.
Tripp pointed to the city's needs for a new fire station and an expansion of its public works facility as two of the largest issues facing the community. He said he considers the fire station to be the highest priority, and he favors a plan that has been under discussion to move the station to the site of Notre Dame de Lourdes Church on Cutts Avenue.
Tripp also said that Saco needs to be more diligent in the upkeep of its roads and sewers. A retired boatyard manager, Tripp said he is aware of the value of preventive maintenance. If elected, he said he would implement a program of regular maintenance for the city's infrastructure to avoid costly failures in the future.
A longtime resident of the Camp Ellis neighborhood, Michaud said the city is finally at a point where federal funding will likely be available to redress the area's century-old erosion problem. He said implementing any solution will require cooperation among all levels of government and the community. He said his experience and knowledge of the problem would allow him to be an effective leader in this effort.
Staff Writer Seth Harkness can be contacted at 282-8225 or at:
sharkness@pressherald.com
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