I have received so many calls from Hampden residents wondering what is going on with their town council I thought I would write this OpEd to tell everyone exactly what the problem is and how we got into this mess.
It started out when certain residents in Hampden with their own agenda took control of the Hampden Town Council and eliminated councilors they did not like. They managed to get individuals on the council whom they believed they could control and to elect a mayor they believed would comply with their wishes to reduce the mill rate and cut taxes. Janet Hughes, longtime councilor and mayor, decided to leave the council in December 2013, which gave them the opportunity to take control.
They managed to get Carol Duprey, the wife of state Rep. Brian Duprey, appointed as mayor. She had only been on the town council one year and had never been the chair of any committee, but she came with her husband’s political agenda. Lacking any experience or leadership ability, she came to the council meeting the night we were supposed to elect a new mayor, knowing she had enough supporters to appoint her mayor.
Her first act was to re-assign committees. She assigned a brand new councilor as chair of the most important committee — planning and development — removing Councilor Tom Brann as chair. She then removed me as chair of infrastructure and assigned one of her favorite supporters. Then she rearranged the seating so all her supporters who voted her in as mayor sat on one side of the council chambers and all the others — me, Tom Brann and Jean Lawlis, the most experienced councilor — sat on the other side. This fractured the town council.
The mayor’s husband, Rep. Duprey said, “You are acting like a sore loser. Suck it up. Man up and get over it.”
Throughout the year’s meetings, several of Duprey’s supporting councilors have realized she has absolutely no leadership ability nor had the experience to lead the council. We were told by the town manager to be patient with her and give her a chance.
The town council did just that. But her inflexibility, because of her and her husband’s agenda and lack of leadership ability, has only been an embarrassment to the council and the community. She failed to attend three important town functions: the retirement party honoring a longtime firefighter, another to honor a local business family who have given so much to Hampden and the surrounding area and to give thanks to a longtime employee for a job well done. This is what a mayor does and is expected to do.
This recent episode involving “robocalls” by Duprey and her political action committee that spread negative campaign information to residents to get two new councilors elected to ensure Duprey would be reappointed mayor next year brings into question her integrity as an individual, never mind as mayor of this fine community.
She has stated the mayor of any town should never “use his or her official office to try to influence an election.” Yet she has done exactly that. This is the problem. It’s called “dirty politics,” and her involvement in this sort of behavior is neither ethical or honorable for a mayor. As Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap said, it’s “slimy.”
In the robocalls, Duprey demeaned two fine councilors who have attended almost every meeting, both town and committee meetings — unlike Duprey, who found it difficult to attend as she committed to do when running for office.
Neither one of these councilors was responsible for the mill rate increase, as she said, because they have absolutely no control over the school and county tax increases. It’s not a matter of hurt feelings, as she said, nor is this their profession. It is all about doing the right thing for the residents of Hampden — all the residents, not just the mayor’s political group.
Duprey apologized for misleading the voters, but her comments at a recent council meeting left many with the impression that she will personally continue to make robocalls. She needs to leave her personal agenda at the door when she comes into the council chambers. She needs to represent all residents. That’s why she was elected.
The mayor’s performance and actions, in my opinion and others, are an embarrassment and disgrace to the town of Hampden.
Duprey needs to do the right thing and resign as a member of the council and as mayor of our fine community.
Retired Army Maj. William Shakespeare serves on the Hampden Town Council.