New Town Councilor Introductions

New Town Councilor Introductions

By Bill Donovan, Cory Fellows, and Scott Doherty, Scarborough Town Council

Scott Doherty

I am a self employed lobster fisherman. As a lifelong Scarborough resident I wanted to join the Town Council to be fair and equitable to the average homeowner, and to lower taxes and fees. I think that things like the school project should go to the voters before the council decides to buy land for something the people don't want. The majority should make these decisions, and they should be done at the November elections.

Cory Fellows

I was born in Bozeman, Montana and moved around a lot growing up as a military kid. I lived in seven different states before graduating from high school in upstate New York and attending Colgate University. I've been in New England since coming to the Boston area for graduate school in the mid-90s, and have now lived in Scarborough for over 20 years - far longer than I've ever lived anywhere else. Our three boys, who are now in college but back in the nest for Thanksgiving as I write this, all attended Scarborough schools from K-12. I served for nearly 12 years on the Planning Board and was also a member of the Long Range Planning Committee, during which LRPC spearheaded the latest update to the Town's Comprehensive Plan. In my spare time I'm a runner, hiker and skier, and enjoy fly-fishing for stripers at Pine Point and other local spots. I can never claim to be a native, but our family chose to put down roots in Scarborough - and I'd like to think that my varied background gives me a unique and valuable perspective. 

I've worked in the affordable housing industry for more than two decades, and one of my goals on the Town Council is to help formulate a real vision and actionable strategy for promoting affordability in Scarborough through thoughtful land use planning and the selective use of Town resources to support a diverse range of housing options in designated growth zones. I also support the continuation and potential expansion of property tax relief for those with fixed incomes. I believe we can strike a healthy balance between housing, commercial development which bolsters our tax base, and the protection of ecologically valuable open space. And while I no longer have kids in our public schools, I strongly support the ongoing effort to identify the most viable path for addressing our schools' pressing needs. Finally, it's my hope that we can continue the recent work of the Council in building a greater level of public trust through sound fiscal management and transparency.

Bill Donovan

I grew up in public schools in Concord MA, and then attended Dartmouth College and BC Law. For the forty years thereafter I practiced municipal law for a large business law firm in Manchester NH, acting as its Managing Partner for those last 10 years. In my spare time I followed my greatest interest, to serve the communities where I lived, serving on planning, zoning and school boards, coaching rec sports and serving on rec commissions. I retired to Higgins Beach and for the last 10 years have served 6 years as a Town Councilor and 4 years as President of the Scarborough Public Library. Additionally I golf (a lot) and enjoy participating with the Higgins Beach team protecting plovers.

My goals as a Councilor remain unchanged from my prior terms. While seeking collaboration with fellow Councilors and employing responsible budgeting, find ways to improve our community and protect it from the most serious pressures it faces. These include controlling our unusually rapid growth and protecting our quality of life, be it difficulties arising with our transportation system to the risks presented by climate change.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Scarborough Town Council.