Cumberland Town Council candidates stress open space, fiscal restraint and inclusion ahead of June 10 election

Incumbent Mike Eads, and challengers Jeffrey Michalek and Anne Maximovich made brief campaign remarks outlining priorities for Cumberland ahead of the June 10 town election.

The candidates framed land preservation, municipal spending and community inclusion as central issues for the Town Council. Eads emphasized past open-space purchases and budget restraint; Michalek focused on transparency and balancing services with tax affordability for long-term residents; Maximovich highlighted social-work experience and ensuring residents feel welcome and supported.

Mike Eads, a candidate for reelection to the Cumberland Town Council, pointed to recent open-space acquisitions and his record on municipal budgets. "We have bought the Town Beach. We've increased the size of Knights Pond. We've added 3 pieces of land to Rhine's Forest. We, bought and, now own, Greeley Woods," Eads said, adding that those properties are "preserved for generations to come." He described himself as fiscally conservative and said, "most of the budgets that we passed in my my 12 year here on the council have been 3% increase or less," noting the town has had "a 1 point something budgets a couple times."

Jeffrey Michalek, running to represent West Cumberland, described a background of local employment and municipal work, saying he worked for the town "as a firefighter and in the public works department" and now is a general manager in the private sector. Michalek said he served on the planning board and that his priorities are "balance" and "transparency," with a focus on providing education, recreation, roads and public safety while avoiding tax increases that would force long-term residents to sell their homes.

Anne Maximovich, a candidate for town council and a social worker who has served six years on the MSAD 51 board of directors, said she would bring clinical skills to the council to help residents who "may not have the same advantages and are struggling with various needs." She said she is "concerned that not everyone feels that, they may be welcome or that they are able to stay here given economic pressures" and that she would work to ensure the town is welcoming and that people can "have a place to come for support."

No formal actions or votes were taken during these remarks; candidates addressed voters and asked for support in the upcoming election.

Local context: open-space acquisitions named by Eads (Town Beach, Knights Pond, Rhine's Forest, Greeley Woods) are land-conservation actions discussed as town accomplishments; budget figures cited by Eads reflect his characterization of past council budgets.