PALERMO — Katrina Smith, a Republican from Palermo, has announced her candidacy for House District 96, which includes Belmont, Liberty, Lincolnville, Montville, Morrill, Palermo and Searsmont.

Smith, a real estate broker and small business owner, said in a press release she wants to ensure state funds are being dispersed to those most in need, especially in rural areas like her portion of Waldo County.

“The time has now come to stand up and speak up for my neighbors and stop the madness happening in the State house,” she said, in the release. “Maine should be a state where our freedoms remain intact, our hard earned money supports our local communities and our focus remains on helping those around us, the elderly, disabled, addicted and impoverished.”

Smith, who grew up in Appleton on a family farm, noted in the release that like many young people, she moved away for a few years, but chose to come home to raise a family.

“Maine is a great place to raise a family,” she said. “I wanted my kids to be a part of a community where everybody knows everybody, where churches, community groups, and residents band together to help people in need, and where they would get a quality, local education from people we know and trust. Preserving that rural Maine way of life is why I am concerned for our state today.”

Smith said she knows many families struggling with property taxes, caring for elderly or disabled relatives, or battling addiction that need help.

“They are slipping through the cracks,” she said. “The state has done some things to ease the burden on homeowners but it’s not enough for people struggling to stay in their homes. And you have a lack of senior housing, assisted living facilities and nursing homes struggling to pay their workers and their bills, as well as an alarmingly high rate people losing their lives to drugs. It creates a vicious cycle that is difficult to break free from.”

Smith said, in the release, she is especially concerned for the elderly.

“More and more of them are going back into the workforce, caring for grandkids or great-grandkids, or are needing costly long-term support services that the state is failing to provide,” she said. “We need to change that and start looking after each other. That always was the Maine way, and for our state to succeed, we have to get back to it.”

For more information or to get involved with Smith’s campaign, visit facebook.com/katrinaformainehouse or contact her at 230-9583.