It is a true honor to be your voice at the county level. My governing philosophy has been and will continue to be that this is your commission seat, not mine. I work for you in this role. It is a duty I take seriously. Now that I’ve spent two years as your commissioner, I’d like to highlight some of the good work taking place and some of the items I was able to accomplish thus far on your behalf. During my term as vice chair, I shepherded through key wins that I promised on the campaign trail including shifting meeting times later, finalizing and launching a new county website, voted to create a media specialist position to help publicize county actions, and pushed county administration to produce an annual report detailing department data and program highlights. I’m a big believer in using our platform to highlight important issues and use our megaphone for good. I introduced and passed our 1st-ever pride proclamation these past two Junes. Never before had the York County Commission officially recognized pride or the LGBTQ+ community in this way. The commission also passed a First Responders Day proclamation to recognize the brave individuals who put on the uniform to protect our communities.
I’m proud to have voted to ensure funding was made available so that body cameras would be equipped for York County Sheriff’s deputies. We also approved outfitting each of our patrol cruisers with a lifesaving defibrillator. Both actions will ensure our Sheriff’s office has the proper tools they need to carry out their public safety responsibilities and promote transparency in criminal justice. One of my first votes I ever took as your commissioner was to vote to commit funds to establish our first county-run substance-use recovery center and first responders training center. These projects are currently under construction near our county jail and will be transformational in their impact for residents throughout our region. Mitigating coastal erosion and coordinating damage response efforts are top priorities for me. The commission directed our Emergency Management Agency to operationalize our county-purchased dredge. I put forward motions and voted to pass agreements with Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and other coastal municipalities for dredge operations & coastal erosion mitigation support. These included agreements to assist towns with getting dunes and beaches up to FEMA standards through regional coordination efforts. To combat homelessness and give individuals a fresh start to get on their feet, the commission voted to allocate funding to the York County Homeless Response Hub and voted to disperse Federal funds for the Sanford Housing Authority to acquire land to build 30 apartment units using the Housing First model. One of the reasons I wanted to work for you as your commissioner is to bring county government closer to you through education, awareness, and engagement. As promised, I’m taking action to include you every step of the way. I do this through holding monthly office hours via Zoom, writing this column, updating a blog on my website, sending out a monthly email newsletter, submitting official letters for annual town reports, posting weekly updates on social media, responding to media requests for interviews, speaking before city council & town selectboards to provide key updates, publicizing the budget process, holding a roundtable with Senator Angus King on Federal funding opportunities for the county, participating as a panelist in the annual Saco Bay Coastal Symposium, and opening a new commission meeting space with better technology for hybrid meeting formats. It’s also been an honor to award several Spirit of America Awards to unsung heroes in our area on behalf of the county and secure several tax abatements for taxpayers when municipalities were in the wrong. York County government is becoming more visible, more impactful, and more accountable to you. I deeply appreciate the honor to continue my public service in this capacity after serving as your Senator and Representative for 8 years. Justin Chenette is the County Commissioner for Saco, OOB, Hollis, & Buxton and is a former State Senator. He serves on the Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission, Maine Right to Know Advisory Committee, and provides college scholarships through his foundation. Justin works as a communications & public relations professional and is the author of ‘The Great Whoopie Pie Debate: A Kids’ Guide to the Maine Legislature.’ Get county updates at CommissionerChenette.com and email him at [email protected].
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