Elise Brown

Taxes / Budget Controlling costs is challenging, especially when faced with multiple state and federal mandates. My leadership style encourages thinking “outside the box” to find new ways to handle long-standing budget problems. I hold myself and others accountable for results, excellence, and integrity. Government Reform As your Commissioner, I pledge to uphold volunteerism and civic engagement as two cornerstones of a functioning society through community partnerships. Government Reform Community members deserve leaders who care about what they have to say, policies that create opportunities for citizen involvement, and meeting styles that make it possible for regular people to meaningfully participate. As your Commissioner, I pledge to work to make your county government accessible to you – the resident and the taxpayer. Government Reform As your commissioner, I will work to expand that quality, contain the costs, and always strive to do better. I will provide opportunities for departments to better understand the needs of the people they serve, so that their services closely match those needs. And I will scrutinize budgets to make sure every tax dollar is spent wisely and frugally. Government Reform I believe Waldo County government can do more to support its towns, helping them and their residents to flourish. As your commissioner, I will commit to meeting regularly with every town in my district and will have an open door and ear for concerns throughout the county. I will seek ways for the county to assist towns in meeting their needs, from pooling resources to reduce costs, assisting with planning, or helping towns find ways to fund necessary projects. Government Reform For county government to best serve its residents, it needs to function clearly & predictably, with transparency, accountability, and accessibility. This means that every department should have clear policies & procedures that are effective and followed by all. Residents should be able to access public information easily, be able to attend public meetings in person or virtually, and have clear ways to provide input on issues that concern them. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Since most of county services center around public safety, that will be a key focus, from making sure our 911 call center is fully equipped to handle complex emergencies to our Emergency Management Agency helping communities prepare to handle extreme weather events.