Ballot 2013: John Butler, Lewiston City Council Ward 1

Biographical information

Name:

John T. Butler Jr.

Office Sought:

Lewiston City Council, Ward 1

Home Street Address:

20 Ware St.

Campaign Phone Number:

784-2076

Campaign Email Address:

jbutler@butlerbros.com

Facebook page:

Twitter Account:

YouTube Channel:

Occupation or primary source of income:

Outside salesperson for 25 years with Butler Brothers. This is a locally owned and operated industrial supply business that has been in business and started by my father in 1952.

Education:

Graduated from Lewiston High School in 1977. Graduated from Saint Michael’s College in Winooski, Vt., with a B.A. in political science in 1981.

Family:

Husband to Ann (Mulcahy) Butler and married for 31 years. Father to three children who all attended public school and they all still reside in Lewiston. My youngest daughter is currently attending UMF as a junior majoring in Primary Education. Proud grandfather of three beautiful children with the oldest one attending public school.

Public offices sought or held?

Lewiston City Council -Four years; Council Representative on the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council; Member of the Taxi Appeals Board; Commissioner for the Lake Auburn Water Protection Commission; Member of the Maine Municipal Association Executive Committee(MMA); Member and Chairperson of the MMA Strategic and Finance Committee; Member of the MMA Property and Casualty Pool board; Member of the MMA Workers Compensation Board; Lewiston School Committee-sixteen years Co-Chair of the Farwell School Building Committee Member of the Geiger School Building Committee Region VI director for the Maine School Board Association LIFELONG LEWISTON RESIDENT.

Civic organizations:

I am a member of Saint Philips Church (IHM). I joined this church when Saint Joseph’s church closed.

Ice breakers

What is your favorite food?

My favorite food is seafood. This includes all kinds cooked and not cooked — but never microwaved.

What is your favorite movie?

What is your favorite book?

My favorite book is the Dictionary. You can learn a new word every day. My word of the day is “LOGGIA”. If you don’t know what it means look it up. You probably have one.

What is the best political advice you have received?

The best political advice I follow is listen 80 percent of the time and talk 20 percent and do what you feel is right in your heart, mind and soul when the facts, discussions and presentations are done.

What Maine political figure do you admire most?

The person I admire most is Margaret Chase Smith. She was a pioneer and an inspiration to many future generations when the world was in in state of change. She was a real leader.

Local politics

What has Mayor Robert Macdonald done during the past two years that you agree with? What has he done that you disagree with?

This is up to you to decide.

What has the city council done during the past two years that you agree with? What have they done that you disagree with?

We have done many good things including economic development, adopting a Riverfront Plan, supported a new Comprehensive Plan, we kept taxes as low as possible when with a $1.1 million revenue cut from the State.

We also started cleaning up downtown in both crime and unsafe housing stock and we worked as a team. The council works as a whole so even if you disagree once the vote is taken you support it.

What has the city administrator and the city staff done during the past two years that you agree with? What have they done that you disagree with?

Ed does a great job. He listens and solves problems in a logical manner. This job is tough and Ed works well with the city staff, the mayor and the council and that is what he is suppose to do. Ed has seven bosses and the decisions that are the end product are the City Council’s decisions.

What has the school committee done during the past two years that you agree with? What have they done that you disagree with?

The School Committee is an elected board and as such has the authority over the school department. The only authority the City Council has is over their total budget that is presented to the public in a local referendum. You have to decide this one.

What should be done with Bates Mill No. 5?

The future of Bate’s Mill number 5 is in the hands of Grow L.A. They have until October first to come up wit approximately $17 to $20 million to do their dream project. If this does not occur this building will be torn down and this action will occur with this council

Any last words?

SIX AREAS TO CONTINUE TO MOVE LEWISTON IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION

1. We have to use our long term Riverfront and upcoming Comprehensive Plans.
2. We have to expand our REVENUE. Revenue is everything.
3. We have to improve our downtown housing stock.
4. We have to keep Lake Auburn CLEAN and SAFE.
5. We as a city have to function as EFFICIENT as possible.
6. We have to change our image of our self. We have low self-esteem and it is a problem.
WE DETERMINE OUR OWN LEGACY!