Strengthening Rural Maine a Practical Plan for District 4

Core Mission

Strengthen rural Maine by securing our communities, lowering the cost of living, restoring local control, shrinking Augusta’s reach, and ensuring every taxpayer dollar is spent responsibly and fairly.

For too long, decisions made in Augusta have expanded beyond their intended scope—reaching deeper into local communities, increasing costs, and placing burdens on towns that were never designed to carry them.

Shrinking Augusta’s reach means:

• Returning decision-making authority to local communities

• Limiting top-down mandates that drive up costs

• Ensuring state government focuses on core responsibilities, not overreach

Rural communities are not asking for special treatment they are asking for fairness, stability, and leadership that understands how policy affects real towns, real families, and real budgets.

This campaign is focused on three clear priorities: support public safety, lower the cost of living while restoring local control, and bring small business back to rural Maine.

It is time for a change. It is time to disrupt Augusta with leadership that delivers results.

Pillar 1: Support Law Enforcement, Fire, and EMS

Strong communities begin with strong public safety systems. Rural Maine faces long response times, staffing shortages, equipment strain, and leadership gaps across Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement.

We must strengthen capacity at every level.

Fire & EMS Stabilization

• Rural retention stipends for active EMTs and volunteer firefighters

• Tuition reimbursement for EMS and fire certification programs

• Property tax credits for active volunteer service

• Dedicated rural equipment modernization grants

• Ambulance, turnout gear, and communications upgrades

Law Enforcement Strengthening

• Increase funding for State Police rural patrol coverage

• Strengthen County Sheriff and local department funding formulas

• Recruitment and retention incentives for rural postings

• Technology and interoperability upgrades

• Sustainable cruiser replacement cycles

  
  

Public Safety Leadership Development

Equipment and staffing matter but leadership under pressure matters most.

• Establish a Rural Public Safety Leadership Fund

• Expand advanced Incident Command System training

• Fund supervisory and executive development programs

• Support multi-agency command exercises and crisis simulations

• Invest in succession planning to prevent leadership gaps

Public safety is not optional.

It is the foundation everything else depends on.

Pillar 2: Lower the Cost of Living and Restore Local Control

Families across rural Maine are being squeezed from every direction heating costs, energy bills, property taxes, and state mandates that ignore local realities.

This must change.

Energy & Heating Relief

• Expand weatherization and efficiency programs that actually reach rural homes

• Support wood, pellet, and fuel oil solutions that reflect how Mainers heat their homes

• Increase oversight and transparency on rate increases

• Strengthen regulatory accountability to prevent unchecked cost hikes

Reduce Government-Driven Costs

• Require full fiscal impact analysis before any new mandate

• Prohibit unfunded mandates that shift costs onto property taxpayers

• Implement realistic timelines so small towns can comply without financial strain

Restore Local Control

• Return decision-making authority to towns and local leaders

• Protect municipalities from one-size-fits-all policies

• Ensure rural communities are not governed like urban centers

Lowering the cost of living starts with better policy, less bureaucracy, and leadership that understands how people actually live.

Pillar 3: Bring Small Business Back to Rural Maine

Small businesses built rural Maine and they will rebuild it if government gets out of the way and supports growth instead of slowing it down.

We need to make rural Maine a place where businesses can start, grow, and stay.

Small Business Growth

• Streamline permitting and licensing processes

• Cut unnecessary regulatory barriers for small and local employers

• Expand access to capital and rural development incentives

Workforce & Economic Stability

• Support trades, apprenticeships, and local workforce pipelines

• Align training programs with real job needs in rural communities

• Encourage industries that fit Maine — forestry, agriculture, manufacturing, and services

Infrastructure That Supports Growth

• Expand reliable broadband access across rural areas

• Invest in roads and infrastructure critical to local economies

• Prioritize projects that directly support business development

Economic growth in rural Maine is not complicated but it does require leadership willing to act.

Responsible Spending and Real Accountability

Before asking taxpayers for more, state government must prove it can manage what it already has.

• Establish independent performance audits across major departments

• Conduct zero-based budget reviews

• Eliminate waste, fraud, and inefficiency

• Reallocate savings to public safety, infrastructure, and rural priorities

Rural Maine deserves its fair share and my responsible leadership will ensure it gets it.

A Clear Path Forward

This campaign is not built on slogans. It is built on action.

1. Support law enforcement, fire, and EMS.

2. Lower the cost of living and restore local control.

3. Bring small business back to rural Maine.

That is the path forward.

District 4 does not need more excuses.

It needs leadership with a plan and the willingness to execute it.

It is time for change, and I am the change ticket!

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https://www.facebook.com/pierceforsenate

I appreciate you taking the time to read this.

As you know, this process is long and demanding. But no matter how big the challenge may seem, I am confident we will reach our goal because people like you understand what common-sense leadership looks like and why it matters.

This campaign is built on people, not politics. It depends on individuals who are willing to stand up, get involved, and make a difference for their families, their communities, and the future of rural Maine.

If you are able to support this effort, we would be grateful for anything you can contribute. Every dollar goes directly toward campaign materials, outreach, and connecting with voters across District 4.

This is going to take a team. And together, we will get it done.

Thank you for standing with us.

Gregory Pierce

Candidate for State Senate, District 4

Support Gregory!