Throughout my professional career, I took struggling, discombobulated businesses and crafted them into focused, extraordinarily profitable ones. For most of that time, I traveled extensively, frequently to some of the world's wildest places. I'm grateful for the experience, but like a lot of people, I came to realize that no matter how fast you move in the fast lane of life, something has to give. For me, that something was a sense of place... of being from somewhere. That realization started about 10 years ago. And I've been working on developing my sense of place here in Midcoast Maine ever since.

It explains why I signed on to the Steering Committee for the Camden Windjammer Festival, where I quickly learned how to put up a circus tent with 20 Rotarians and wrangle lobster crates with another 10 willing volunteers. It's why I joined West Bay Rotary and, among other community-oriented skillsets, how I started selling Duck Derby tickets in front of French & Brawn, parking cars in subzero temperatures at the Toboggan Nationals, and more.... all for good causes. And it's why I joined the Board of United Mid-Coast Charities and came to experience up close the work of many of the 50-plus agencies it supports in the region.

In a relatively short time, volunteering my time and expertise taught me how our communities work and made me feel a part of it. Now every day I see firsthand how much amazing work goes on in our community by hundreds of selfless and kind people simply "stepping up" without regard for any reward or recognition beyond the satisfaction of doing the right thing for their neighbors. As much as anything, they are the glue that holds our community together. They are the faces of my growing sense of place.

Speaking more specifically to my experience with our town government, it also explains why I became a member of the Rockport Planning Board, where I reviewed dozens of applications and developed an understanding of just how important this hardworking committee is to the future of our town. Concurrently, I became a member of the equally important Budget Committee, where I've come to better understand how all the money flows in and out each year; why we can do this and cannot do that; how budget decisions get made at the staff level and continue all the way through to voter approval each June. I regularly volunteer to assist in projects affecting economic development, such as the ultra-high-speed fiber optic cables running through the village, promotional brochures, and even a website to more effectively promote the town and our historic Opera House. In so doing, I've worked closely and successfully with staff, fellow committee members, and the Select Board.

By nature, I'm a deliberate person and I like to do my homework before drawing any conclusions. That's why it was important that I prepare myself with some time "in the trenches" of town government before stepping up to the Select Board.

In very basic terms, the Select Board is about overseeing how our town works. In many ways it's not unlike running a publicly-held business with thousands of stockholders, only the stockholders here are taxpayers. In very simplistic terms, the job is to make sure the business is run well and meets the expectations of you as a stockholder/taxpayer. The business of the town is guided by financial objectives, which more precisely is the annual budget approved by voters each June. There is one obvious difference, however. In the business of running a town, you are not expected to generate a monetary return, or profit; it's really more about keeping expenses in line with tax revenue. And the "profit" becomes more about sustaining the desired quality of life for those of us who live here... and, presumably, improving it over time.

Quality of life in Rockport is many things to any one of us. For me, Rockport is a place where I've come to live, pure and simple. We have an amazing display of natural beauty. World-class hubs of experiential education (e.g., Maine Media Workshops and College and the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship) and music (Bay Chamber Concerts). Bikable roads, hiking trails and wild places everywhere you look. Quality schools for our children and a cozy library across the street from the iconic Opera House. Even before we invested in the first municipally-owned ultra high speed fiber optic network, there is a palpable resurgence in the Village thanks to some great bistros, galleries and shops. And who doesn't enjoy seeing the hustle and bustle of Rockport Marine's crew and the working fishermen down on the harbor. There's no question that life is pretty great here.

Going forward then, my vision for our town is framed with an assurance that it remains that way, that we don't jeopardize those special features that attracted us here in the first place. It's that simple. That doesn't mean I want to stand in the way of progress and new ideas... quite the opposite. I'm as anxious as the next person to explore ways we can make our town even better. For one of the primary elements that sustains our lifestyle is a sound economic foundation comprised of primarily small businesses. After all, it's how things work here in Maine, a state where 95 percent of businesses employ fewer than 50 employees. That's why I've been heavily involved in establishing innovative programs like the "Top Gun" business accelerator program here in Midcoast Maine.

Because Rockport sits between the trendy towns of Camden and Rockland, we benefit from the constant influx of visitors. With technology now making it possible for people to work where they live, we're better situated than ever before to convert visitors to residents who own or want to start small, technology-laden businesses that up until fiber optic cable came into our town were only feasible to base in major urban areas. We're now in the rarefied position of having a town where it's possible to have high tech, a great community to raise a family, and a scenic view, too!

It's important that I stop here in my visioning exercise, because as an elected official, it's not about what I think and what I want to see happen here. More appropriately, it's about what you as a resident (read: stockholder/taxpayer) think and what you want to see happen here, and then applying my experience in group process and business to accomplish that. In business, accomplishing your goal is a matter of defining where you want to be and then figuring out how to get there as efficiently and as quickly as possible. I believe those principles could be applied to good effect on our representative government (aka, democracy).

To recap, I'd like you to vote for me because I have a sense of this place we call "Rockport," and I'm passionate about doing whatever I can to help it flourish. I've done my homework on how our town works and I know what it means to serve on the Select Board for a full, three-year term (...and, with your support, even longer). And I'll work to ensure the features and values that define our town are sustained for many years to come. Toward that end, I encourage you to visit my public Facebook page, JohnViehmanForRockport and join in a conversation with me.

Respectfully submitted,

John Viehman
Candidate for Rockport Select Board