There are three open Rockport Select Board seats up for election June 9 at annual Town Meeting. Four candidates are seeking election to two of the seats that carry three-year terms. Those candidates are incumbents Kimberlee Graffam and Michael Thompson, as well as Samantha Appleton and Darren Robbins.

The one-year seat will fill out the remaining three-year term vacated by Select Board member Michelle Hannan, who resigned from the Rockport Select Board last winter. For that one-year seat, there are three candidates: Linda Greenlaw, Craig Mitchell and Geoffrey Parker.

Penobscot Bay Pilot has posed questions to each candidate, providing the opportunity for the public to better understand their positions on issues. Here, candidate Darren Robbins responds:

Please provide a brief biography of yourself, explain why you decided to seek a seat on the Select Board, and what you are hoping to accomplish.

I was born in Rockport and grew up in Appleton. I graduated from Camden Hills Regional High School in 2004, a member of the first class to attend all four years of high school at the Route 90 location. I attended Southern Maine Community College and graduated with certificates in both Heating and Plumbing in 2006.

I started my own business directly after college and still own and operate it today. I have been a volunteer firefighter for over 15 years, first in Appleton and now in Rockport. I live in Rockport with my family, including my two children who attend the Camden-Rockport School district.

I chose to seek a seat on the Select Board to be a voice of the hardworking, down-to-earth residents of Rockport. I hope to assist the board in making better decisions for the long-term success of the town and to encourage the town to be more financially conscious. It is important to keep taxes and costs reasonable to ensure that our residents can continue to live and thrive here.

What are Rockport’s greatest strengths, and how do you hope to support them?

Rockport’s greatest strengths are the Police Department, Fire/EMT Department, and Public Works. These departments are strong because of their leadership and employees. I hope to support them by keeping their equipment well maintained and advocate for their opinions on how to improve the town.

What are Rockport’s greatest issues to address?

Rockport’s greatest issue is our lack of collaboration with surrounding towns, high taxes, affordable housing, and the sewer project. We are at risk of becoming a town that is too expensive for the average family.

Rockport has several land use ordinance and subdivision ordinance amendments on the June 9 Annual Town Meeting warrant, including adjustments to the zoning map. Have you read through the proposed amendments and do you approve the changes?

Yes, I have read through the proposed amendments and approve of the proposed changes. I feel this will help with the lack of affordable housing options in Rockport as well as help to streamline processes and reduce wait times for the citizens who are waiting for approvals.

The current Select Board has discussed establishing a Regionalization Task Force (April 13 SB meeting, conversations starts at 1:55:34). What is your perception of what that means, and do you have ideas of how Rockport could collaborate with other municipalities to improve on best practices, collaborations, and/or reduce the annual financial load on taxpayers for town operations?

While some would like everything to be regionalized, I feel that would be very difficult at this time given that everything is its own entity at the moment. I think focusing on a few areas would be a good place to begin. For example, I would like to see Rockport collaborate with other towns on a replacement schedule for vehicles and town equipment. This would allow Rockport to become more educated on how other towns are handling such schedules and to compare best practices. I also think there are a few smaller areas within the town that would be interesting to look into regionalizing,such as payroll and administration.

The transfer station and tax assessor are two examples of areas of current regionalization that have been successful. I am confident that we will find the same success in additional areas, as well.

As a Select Board member, how will you help ensure all villages (Rockville, Glen Cove, Simonton Corner, West Rockport and Rockport Village) all receive equal attention and investment by the town?

I live in West Rockport and am committed to ensuring all Rockport residents have their voices heard. I will advocate for necessary improvements regardless of where in Rockport it’s located.

The town has received a 90/10 grant from the Maine Dept. of Transportation to design (not build) a pathway from the intersection of routes 1 and 90 to the high school, as outlined in the 2024 Sewall Transportation Infrastructure Study for Rockport. Do you support investing in the design and build of a Route 90 pathway?

Providing a safe option for walking and biking from the Elementary and High School to Rockport Village is important. Additionally, we need to be sure that all current and future sidewalks are properly maintained.

What is your opinion of the Rockport budget process, the working relationship between the Select Board and the Budget Committee?

The Select Board and the Budget Committee seem to have a good working relationship — listening to each other and engaging in productive conversation about the issues at hand. I feel that the Budget Committee doesn’t get enough credit for the time and effort they spend preparing the agenda that they present to the Select Board and I feel they should have more say when it comes to the town’s budget decisions. They have done extensive research and are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the items in question.

How will you advocate for the Rockport taxpayer as you help shape and govern a municipal budget, and juggle various interests that request municipal funding throughout the year?

I would encourage and listen to the concerns being presented by the taxpayers and work together with the department heads and Budget Committee to come up with a feasible solution that falls within the town’s budget.

Have you read the Rockport Municipal Charter and does it need amending?

Yes, I have read the Municpal Charter. I don't feel that it needs amending at this time.

Rockport and Camden signed a five-year wastewater agreement in May 2025, which terminated lawsuits between the two towns, and “emphasized their mutual commitment to cooperation and shared goals,” said a two-town press release last year. Do you think Rockport should, for the long term (four years from now), continue sending its wastewater to Camden (and Rockland) or focus on building its own wastewater facility, as it proposed to voters in 2024? That measure failed at the polls but the idea is not forgotten.

I feel the current situation is working well, but the current rate is very high which is a concern to the taxpayers. Time needs to be spent researching the best alternatives in order to lower the overall cost to the taxpayers. It’s important that the idea of Rockport having its’ own wastewater plant be revisited throughout the year.

How do you see Rockport fitting into the greater regional economy and culture?

Rockport offers a great deal to the citizens including the YMCA, a beautiful harbor park area, the hospital, a large public library, and so much more. As a young Rockport family we have enjoyed all of the public events that are now being offered in our own hometown (such as the Donut Festival, New Year's Eve Celebration, and the concerts in the park), bringing attention to our small town and thus boosting our economy. Instead of being just a go between for Camden and Rockland, people are now stopping in Rockport and experiencing the culture here.

What is the importance of local government, and how do you see yourself, as a Select Board member, in it?

The local government is very important and the only way for real change to happen is by getting involved and having our voices heard. I feel that some of the projects that the Select Board has made priority have been rushed. While they solved a small current issue, they haven’t resulted in a look at the larger picture with a solid longterm sustainable outcome. It feels as if the town is always behind and rarely gaining any true ground.

I see myself as a Select Board member who will ask the difficult questions, do the research, present the facts, and work hard to bring the true feelings of the citizens to light. Encouraging and focusing on public comment is vitally important in a local government.

What municipal committee(s) would you like to be a liaison to, and why?

I am open to the committee(s) where I would be utilized best. However, I am interested in the Budget Committee and the Regionalization Task Force Committee. Looking at ways to reduce town spending is vitally important and I feel that these two committees would serve as the best chance to do so. In addition, the Pathways Committee and Midcoast Solid Waste Committee are two opportunities to see how regionalization is working well in our community.