Hermon council candidates clash on wastewater capacity, urge proactive planning

At a candidate forum in Hermon, Jason Forbes and Josh Barry told residents the town faces urgent wastewater and infrastructure questions that should be addressed before new development proceeds.

"My name is Jason Forbes," Forbes said in his opening remarks, adding he is "a veteran of the United States Marine Corps" and a local business owner who wants to help the town plan for the future. Barry, who said he resigned as town manager and has worked in the town office for eight years, emphasized continuity and the need to maintain low taxes while investing in core services.

The candidates both said they would not categorically curb residential growth but argued that expansion must follow available infrastructure. Forbes said Hermon must be "proactive not reactive" about wastewater and water systems and called for a town committee of stakeholders to identify customers and revenue options. Barry highlighted that the town has limited control over billing and relies on a 30‑year contract with the city of Bangor that is due to expire, and he said the town should press for engineering studies and available federal grants to address capacity.

A participant at the forum warned the town may already be "at 100% capacity" under its agreement with Bangor, a claim others acknowledged as a pressing operational constraint. Candidates and staff reported that inflow/infiltration (II) studies and engineering work have been conducted in recent years but that the last camera inspection and II report cited at the forum was done about eight years ago; speakers said more current work and grant applications are in progress.

Forbes urged the council to consider charging transmission or service fees to better reflect use of sewer infrastructure and to hire staff to manage billing and operations. "We should be charging a transmission fee," Forbes said, arguing a local billing function could create a revenue base to maintain pump stations and lines.

Barry described efforts under way at the town office and said assistant town staff and the economic development director (Scott Perkins was named in discussion) have pursued federal funding and engineering partnerships with Bangor Wastewater to increase capacity. He said establishing annual council goals and improving community communication are priorities if elected.

The candidates also touched on related topics: school facilities potentially affected by on‑site septic systems, the adequacy of fire department EMS response versus an independent ambulance service, and retaining Hermon’s village character through zoning. Both candidates repeatedly identified youth programs and volunteers as key community assets and said they would defend emergency services in the budget.

The forum closed with candidates summarizing qualifications—Forbes pointed to his military and maritime management experience; Barry highlighted his municipal experience across multiple departments—and reminding attendees to vote on June 11. No formal motions or council actions were taken at the forum.