Matt Townsend
A Trusted Voice for Fairfield & Benton
Matt learned the value of hard work waking up at 4 AM to help his dad milk the cows. Today, he uses that work ethic to provide excellent. care as a trusted veterinarian and deliver meaningful results on the Fairfield town council. Matt is running for State Representative because Fairfield and Benton need a leader who can care for our community, get things done, and put families first.
Matt’s Priorities for Fairfield & Benton
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There isn’t one person walking out of a grocery store right now who is fine with the amount they just paid. The cost of living is out of control in Maine, wages are stagnant for anyone making more than minimum wage, and property taxes are rising just as fast as inflation. We need to get to the root causes of price increases, take action to reduce waste and go after businesses who price gouging.
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For our law enforcement and first responders, we need to make sure that we have well-trained and knowledgeable officers on the street. Fire and ambulance operations are at-risk of shutting down. When you call 9-1-1, you should get the immediate help you need.
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The residents of Benton & Fairfield respect and treasure our natural resources. Streams, rivers, ponds, forests and open farmland. I want the state to do its job to protect these resources. More importantly I will fight for the state to guarantee access to safe drinking water without chemicals like PFAS.
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Living along the Kennebec River, traveling over bridges are an everyday part of our lives. Non-partisan infrastructure groups give Maine a “C” grade because of aging and failing roads and bridges. We need to make sure that when we’re traveling to work, school and spending time with family and friends, we can get there safely
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It’s no surprise to anyone with Inland Hospital closing last year that everyone needs to be focused on what we can do to rebuild the continuum of healthcare in Central Maine. The average age across Benton and Fairfield is 43 years old, so that means that there are many older adults needing more expert care, couples having children, and everyone else’s everyday healthcare.
Not only do we need to build hospitals, we need to recruit quality doctors and health professionals, and we need to make sure that we will not go broke to see them. Right now, healthcare costs are out of control for everyone, and with 13% of residents in Benton & Fairfield without any health insurance (more than double the state average!) - we need to think of all solutions to get us health coverage that we can afford.
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As a small business owner, I know how hard it is to balance hiring a staff, providing a needed service for the community and to be able to make a life of doing it. But less businesses mean so less opportunity, so we need to find a way to grow our tax base by supporting small businesses. Through smart modest investments, we can change the trajectory of our community.
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Having good schools doesn’t mean we have to break the bank, but we need to invest in quality teachers to get quality results. Only 15% of working-age adults have a bachelor’s degree across Benton & Fairfield. Higher ed doesn’t mean a better quality of life, but we know that a higher degree changes the trajectory of an adult’s life from earning potential to job stability to better health outcomes and longer life expectancy. By continuing to support common sense solutions like state-invested job training training and local early coursework that our community colleges provide like at KVCC, we can make a decision to change the lives of all Mainers.
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Our community works hard and plays hard, but we are all experiencing gaps in our community where too many people who are vulnerable are falling through. 39% of residents in Benton and Fairfield are on Social Security. We need to do something big and we all need to be encouraged to step up.
Augusta politicians need to be different. That’s why I want you to hold me accountable. I want to be accessible as much as I possibly can to you.
Not Me, Us
Please get in touch me if you have any questions, want to set up a meeting or would like to volunteer for the campaign
