Question about candidate's mortgage sparks ugly scene in Alton

ALTON — The music room at the Alton Central School was filled with discordant notes during a candidate's forum here last night in which one of the school board candidates' personal financial situation received a public airing.

The forum was recessed briefly after David St. Cyr asked School Board candidate Steve Miller ''where do you plan on living after your home is sold at a foreclosure auction on March 21?''

That question prompted Selectman Cydney Johnson to move promptly to the microphone, where she said “I think we've lost control of this forum'' and called for a recess as some members of the audience said that the question amounted to character assassination.

The recess lasted for about 10 minutes and the discussion over St. Cyr's question continued outside in the school parking lot, where several people questioned St. Cyr as he was leaving the school grounds about whether or not it was a fair question to have been asked.

When the forum resumed, Miller explained his financial situation to the audience, saying that he had a balloon mortgage on the property and was faced with high payments but had been able to renegotiate the mortgage and now expects to live in the home for the next 20 years.

Much of the evening preceding that was taken up by complaints of the negative nature of political campaigns in the community, especially those for the School Board in which incumbent school board Chairman Terri Noyes and Miller are the only candidates on the ballot for two three-year positions. Also taking part in the forum was Keith Dube, who has mounted a write-in campaign for the School Board.

Noyes complained at one point to Miller, who is Chairman the Budget Committee, that she had been called ''a dictator'' by another committee member.

“I don't like name calling or being called a dictator'' she said.

After she made the comment, fellow School Board member Jeffrey St. Cyr asked the candidates whether they thought the campaign should focus on issues or character assassination.

''I've never seen a campaign like this with all the name calling.'' said Noyes.

Barbara Howard asked Dube whether or not he had said negative things about Mr. Miller and his finances and Dube said that he hadn't created the rumors and that Miller's financial situation was public knowledge.

When moderator Mark Northridge asked for some positive comments, David St. Cyr said that he was thankful that Miller had removed a campaign sign of his from a public monument in Alton Square and then said that he thought that a letter that Miller had published in The Baysider weekly newspaper in September questioning whether a relative of his (Jeffrey St. Cyr is his son) had not paid any property local taxes was unfair. He said that his son neither owned property nor a car which he would have to pay taxes on to the town.

There were several testy exchanges throughout the course of the forum, with Barbara Howard saying that she thought the School District was discriminating against those who didn't have children in the school system. She said that e-mails and robocalls informing parents of upcoming School Board and School District meetings go only to the parents and that everyone in town should be equally informed.

Miller said he would support having the robocalls go to everyone in town and Dube said that he would as well but didn't think the town's senior citizens would appreciate receiving robocalls at 5 a.m. telling them that school was cancelled.

David St. Cyr then explained that the calls and e-mails go only to those who have signed up and that the school isn't in a position to run a town-wide system.