Houlton Council Elects New Chair

Chris Robinson was elected chairman of the Houlton Town Council on Wednesday. The transfer of leadership occurred during the Aroostook town’s annual operational meeting, where the five newly elected members were sworn into office by Town Clerk Khylee Wampler.

The recent midterm election marked a departure from local trends. Houlton has faced difficulties recruiting candidates for its seven-member body, resulting in uncontested races in past years. This cycle attracted eight candidates for the five open seats. The final vote count showed incumbent Fred Grant leading with 1,766 votes. John J. Schools received 1,437, and Sue Tortello received 1,333. Challengers Darryl Scott White and Chris Robinson completed the group with 1,025 and 131 votes, respectively.

Robinson stated his intent to apply a business focus to council operations. He cited his previous term, where he served as both councilor and chair, as a basis for his confidence in the new role. "I thought I was fairly effective the last time I was a councilor and chair and because of that I thought I could do it again," Robinson said. "There were some key deciding votes I made as chair."

The council also finalized personnel decisions. Town Manager Amber Jones confirmed several appointments. These included Wampler in multiple roles, such as town clerk and deputy treasurer. Emily Crofoot was named treasurer and finance director, while Emily Mills took the post of tax collector. Theresa L. Duff was appointed assessor. Tamara Merritt was designated deputy clerk, and Jones assumed the title of public information officer. The firm Severson, Hand, and Nelson was retained as town attorney.

Attorney Dan Nelson addressed the council regarding open records law. He clarified that all communication with the town, whether by phone, email, or in person, constitutes a public record. "Everything we do is public with a few minor exceptions and it’s important that we let the public know what we are doing," Nelson said. "People are entitled to it."

Voter participation in Tuesday’s election surpassed projections. Wampler reported that 200 ballots were cast in the first two hours. By 3:37 p.m., 1,000 residents had voted in person and 769 absentee ballots were processed. The total number of registered voters in Houlton stood at 3,549. Residents who had not voted in years also re-registered during the election day window.