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Voters also approve a $2.3 million bond for road repaving, backing the measure 71-29 percent.

By EDWARD D. MURPHY, Staff Writer November 4, 2009

SACO — Mayor Roland L. Michaud rolled to re-election Tuesday, easily fending off a challenge from a city councilor.

Michaud got 4,887 votes to 1,501 for Ronald Morton, winning 76.5 percent to 23.5 percent.

Voters also approved a $2.3 million bond for road repaving projects by similar numbers with 4,800, or 71 percent, in favor and 1,960, or 29 percent, opposed.

Michaud, 62, the help desk coordinator at Thornton Academy, has served one two-year term as mayor. Before becoming mayor, he was on the council for 14 years.

Morton, 69, a salesman at Seacoast RVs, has been the city councilor representing Ward 3 for four years. Before that he was on the Saco School Board for seven years.

Both candidates supported the ballot question seeking money to repave streets in the city.

In Ward 1, Margaret E. Mills narrowly won a second term on the City Council, against two challengers.

Mills had 393 votes, 35.6 percent, beating Cynthia L. Chadwick-Granger, who had 372 votes, 33.7 percent, and David A. Precourt, with 340 votes, 30.7 percent.

Chadwick-Granger and Precourt had said Saco has developed a reputation for being anti-business. Mills said the trick is finding the right balance between being pro-business and preserving the city's quality of life.

Mills, 53, is a retired librarian. Precourt, 50, owns a landscaping and excavating business. Chadwick-Granger, 49, is a mortgage loan officer

Mills won her first term on the council two years ago after running unopposed.

In Ward 4, Jeffrey Christenbury won a council seat with 695 votes, 63 percent, to 408, 37 percent, for Sandra L. Bastille.

Both Christenbury, 24, and Bastille, 47, said they wanted to maintain Saco's recent history of tightfistedness.

Christenbury is a television host and producer and made his first run for elective public office.

Bastille, a customer service representative for the Maine Turnpike, has served one term on the council.

Staff Writer Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at: emurphy@pressherald.com