 The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ people to all levels of government, has officially announced its endorsement of Justin Chenette for re-election to the York County Commission.
Since becoming the first Millennial and only openly LGBTQ individual ever elected to the commission, Chenette has been a steadfast advocate for modernization, transparency, and inclusive governance. His tenure has been marked by a commitment to ensuring that all residents feel seen and represented by their regional government, notably by leading the effort to pass the first-ever Pride proclamations in York County's history.
0 Comments
THE GOLDEN TICKET IN POLITICS!
After collecting over 70 signatures from every corner of the district: Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Hollis, and Buxton, I turned in our petitions to certify our campaign with the Secretary of State’s Office. We are the first campaign in this race to qualify for the 2026 ballot. It’s a testament to the widespread enthusiasm we are receiving. It was nice being at the State House, where I served 8 years as your Senator and Representative. I really appreciate everyone who came out to sign our petitions and everyone’s continued support. It’s been an honor to serve as your commissioner and look forward to continuing to build on the progress we’ve made together, making county government more relevant, transparent, and accountable to you.  York County Commissioner Justin Chenette has announced he will seek a second four-year term in the 2026 election for District 3, which includes the communities of Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Hollis, and Buxton.
Chenette is the first millennial and first openly LGBTQ+ individual ever elected to the commission and was selected by his fellow commissioners to serve a term as vice chair. “Since taking office, county government has become more relevant, visible, impactful, and accountable to the public,” says Chenette. “County government is no longer the lost level of government it had been. I’m proud of the leadership we’ve been able to provide on issues around food insecurity, coastal erosion, public safety, substance use recovery, and transparency.” Chenette cites efforts to save the York County Food Pantry, operationalize a county-run dredge program, construct the first responders training center, fund body cameras for deputies, outfit patrol cruisers with lifesaving defibrillators, create a new county website, and pass the first-ever pride proclamations as key accomplishments. In the past year, Chenette has been recognized for his public leadership, being awarded Maine County Commissioner of the Month by the Spirit of America Foundation, the Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Maine at Augusta, and the 40 Under 40 award by Mainebiz. The Primary Election is set for June 9th and the General Election is set for November 3rd. The following individuals were recognized at a recent County Commission meeting with a Spirit of America Award. The Spirit of America Award celebrates exceptional volunteerism and community service at the local level. WGME: York County Commissioner Justin Chenette emphasized the urgency of the project, stating, "We need to do these projects now. We cannot wait. The dredge season is only through March, so if we were to wait, it'd be another year delay and that's just not acceptable when we lose homes constantly every single year to storm damage and erosion."
 Our latest advocacy push worked! After navigating numerous federal bureaucratic hurdles for many months, we have finally received a green light to protect our shorelines. FEMA has cleared the path for three critical Category B Sand Replenishment Projects to move forward immediately in York County.
Here is our newly updated project timeline:
What Changed? Initially, FEMA required a final review and sign-off from the Secretary of Homeland Security. However, after relentless advocacy from our York County Commission, SOS Saco Bay, state lawmakers, local officials, and our congressional delegation, FEMA Region 1 clarified that, because these are reimbursable grants, these specific projects can proceed without the additional review process delays. All Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) reviews have now been cleared, a process that took upwards of eight months to complete. A Message of Thanks This victory was truly a team effort, and it wouldn’t have happened without the advocacy of a long list of state, local, and Federal officials. Over the last two weeks alone, we have all rallied to engage our congressional delegation and put pressure to create a sense of urgency around this Federal logjam. This is where York County Government played a critical role in being the glue that brought all levels of government together to champion real progress and results for our residents. Our county is lucky to have the tireless work of Art Cleaves running our York County Emergency Management team. Our Commission directed him to champion and run the dredge program, and he has been working around the clock to get this up and running through all these various stages of this long process. The ongoing advocacy of SOS Saco Bay has ensured that the issue of coastal protection remains at the forefront of everyone’s minds, and the relationships they’ve built have ensured that no one forgets Camp Ellis and our entire coastline in policy and funding discussions. Thank you for the support from Senator Donna Bailey, State Representatives Lori Gramlich, Marshall Archer, Lynn Copeland, and Bob Foley, Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail, and to our congressional delegation, including Senator Collins’ staff, for coming together through letters, emails, and calls to ensure our plight was heard and action was taken swiftly. Looking forward to seeing the county-run dredge in action come January and the continued progress around protecting our coastline from future storm and erosion damage. There is a lot more work ahead, but county leadership will continue to be part of the collective effort and long-term solutions.  Our County Commission has sent a letter at my request to Maine's Congressional Delegation demanding immediate intervention to fast-track critical coastal protection projects that have been dangerously delayed by federal bureaucracy. The Crisis: A Lingering Disaster The memory of the devastating January 2024 storm—which brought the highest tide in recorded history—is still fresh. The damage was catastrophic:
The Problem: Bureaucracy at a Snail's Pace Three essential FEMA Category B emergency protective measures—for Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Wells—are effectively STUCK in an endless loop of EHP review.
The Ticking Clock ⏳ Even once the EHP review is finally complete, FEMA requires an additional 60-day Secretarial Review because project costs exceed $100,000. This additional, unnecessary, and duplicative review instituted under the Trump Administration creates an administrative burden and puts at risk our ability to complete work this dredge season. We need Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to prioritize this new review step because of the time-sensitive nature of our local projects. Dredging activities must be completed between November and March, so it’s crunch time for our coastal communities. The Impact: Another Year of Exposure The result? Projects that were originally scheduled to start this past November could be delayed to next November if we don’t see an overall sense of urgency by this administration. This translates to:
The County's Demand: Direct Congressional Action The Commissioners' letter is a clear, urgent plea for our Congressional Delegation to use their authority to:
The Bottom Line York County should NOT be forced to wait any longer for protection and recovery from a federally declared disaster. The County is ready to provide all necessary technical information to get these projects moving, use our County-owned dredge, and work with our communities to advance coastal protection measures. No more delays. We need our Federal representatives to act NOW to protect our coast, our infrastructure, and our future. We’re waiting on Washington. Bureaucracy is drowning our beaches. Our coastal communities can’t wait any longer. We need Federal action now. Latest news on the Saco and OOB projects that are currently being held up: Contact Our Congressional Delegation to Demand No More Delays
U.S. Senator Susan Collins Washington, D.C. Office Phone (202) 224-2523 Augusta: (207) 622-8414 Bangor: (207) 945-0417 Biddeford: (207) 283-1101 Portland: (207) 618-5560 Email: https://www.collins.senate.gov/contact U.S. Senator Angus King Washington, D.C. Office Phone (202) 224-5344 Augusta: (207) 622-8292 Bangor: (207) 945-8000 Biddeford: (207) 352-5216 Portland: (207) 245-1565 Toll-Free(800) 432-1599 Email: https://www.king.senate.gov/contact U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree Washington, D.C. Office Phone (202) 225-6116 Portland: (207) 774-5019 Waterville: (207) 873-5713 Email: https://pingree.house.gov/contact/ York County Commission accepts 600k more in opioid settlement funds to fuel recovery center9/7/2025  We voted as a commission for the county to accept an additional $600,000 from two proposed opioid settlements—one from Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, and the other with various opioid manufacturers. This is in addition to the estimated $4.6 million in an initial opioid settlement from pharmaceutical companies that will be received over an 18-year period for our county.
We are immediately putting it to good use to fuel recovery for those with substance use disorders throughout our county. All the opioid settlement funds received by the county will go towards construction and programming for our new Substance Use Treatment & Recovery Center. The York County Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Center will be the first of its kind in Maine. It will feature 58 beds—including 50 licensed substance use disorder beds and 8 observation beds—and offer comprehensive detox, inpatient, and outpatient services, with a specific focus on care for our rural communities. Construction is underway with the hope that the project can be completed by the end of 2026. |
UpdatesCheck back here for the latest happenings with York County Government. Archives
February 2026
Categories |
RSS Feed
|
|
york County Commissioner
|
Site Created, Paid For, & Authorized by Justin Chenette