By: Ryan Michaels | The Maine Mirror

BERWICK, Maine — Leading a municipal police department is a significant public responsibility. Serving in the Maine Legislature carries another set of obligations, including regular travel to Augusta and attendance during a legislative session that can span months.

Berwick Police Chief Timothy Towne plans to do both if elected to represent Maine House District 149.

Public records reviewed by The Maine Mirror show that Towne filed as a candidate months ago and subsequently sought permission from the Berwick Select Board to continue serving as police chief while also serving as a state representative.

The Select Board ultimately approved that arrangement unanimously.

But the records also reveal an unusual detail about how Towne described the beginning of his candidacy: he told the Select Board that he had originally agreed to run “only as a placeholder.”

Together, the records raise a significant public-interest question for Berwick residents and District 149 voters: How would one person manage the responsibilities of serving simultaneously as a municipal police chief and a member of the Maine Legislature?

State Records Show March 13 Filing

The Maine Campaign Finance Disclosure system lists Towne as a Republican candidate for state representative and records his “Date Filed With Secretary of State” as March 13, 2026.

(Timothy Towne’s Maine Campaign Finance Disclosure candidate page showing his Republican affiliation and a “Date Filed With Secretary of State” of March 13, 2026.)

That date provides an important starting point for the documented timeline.

Fifty-three days later, on May 5, Towne appeared before the Berwick Select Board to discuss his candidacy and the possibility of continuing as police chief while serving in the Legislature.

Towne Says He Originally Agreed to Run as a “Placeholder”

The May 5 Select Board minutes contain a section titled “Chief’s Request — Concurrent Service as State Representative.”

According to the Town’s minutes, Towne addressed the Board regarding his candidacy for House District 149 and explained that he “had originally agreed to run only as a placeholder but is now considering running for the office.”

The minutes do not explain what Towne meant by “placeholder.” They do not identify who asked or encouraged him to run under that arrangement, what the original understanding was, or when his intentions regarding the race changed.

What the minutes do establish is that Towne then asked the Select Board to consider allowing him to serve simultaneously as Police Chief and State Representative.

(May 5, 2026 Berwick Select Board minutes documenting Chief Timothy Towne’s statement that he originally agreed to run “only as a placeholder,” his request to serve simultaneously as police chief and state representative, and the Board’s request for his written plan.)

What Would Serving in Both Positions Require?

Towne provided the Select Board with some indication of the legislative time commitment.

According to the May 5 minutes, Towne explained that Year 1 runs from approximately mid-December through the third week of June, generally two days per week, Tuesday and Thursday. Year 2 runs from January through early May, also approximately two days per week.

That schedule puts the practical implications of holding both positions at the center of the issue.

The existing records do not establish that Towne’s performance as police chief would suffer if he were elected. Nor do they establish that the two positions cannot successfully be held simultaneously.

They do, however, raise legitimate questions about availability, departmental leadership and how the responsibilities of two separate public roles would be balanced.

Towne told the Select Board that he had prepared a memorandum outlining an operational plan for the police department during legislative days. According to the minutes, he expressed full confidence in his staff and said he would respect whatever decision the Board reached.

Board members Mike Laterreur, Jeff Brooks and Cyrus Morgan expressed support and confidence in Towne but wanted additional time to review his plan before making a decision.

The minutes specifically note the upcoming retirement of the department’s captain as part of that discussion.

The Board indicated it would take approximately two weeks to consider Towne’s request and asked him to provide the written memorandum.

No vote was taken on May 5.

Two Weeks Later, the Board Approved the Arrangement

Towne returned to the Select Board on May 19, 2026.

The minutes state:

“Police Chief Tim Towne provided a detailed plan as requested at the last meeting. The Board expressed support for the plan.”

Chair Mike Laterreur moved to approve Towne’s concurrent-service plan. Jeff Brooks seconded the motion.

The vote was 5-0 in favor.

Motion approved.

(May 19, 2026 Berwick Select Board minutes showing Chief Timothy Towne presenting his detailed concurrent-service plan and the Select Board voting 5-0 to approve it.)

The approval occurred 67 days after the March 13 filing date reported by Maine’s campaign-finance system.

That vote establishes that the Select Board approved Towne’s proposed concurrent service. But the meeting minutes provide only a brief description of the plan underlying that decision.

What Exactly Did the Select Board Approve?

One of the most important records underlying the Board’s decision is not reproduced in the meeting minutes:

Towne’s detailed concurrent-service plan.

The May 5 minutes establish that Towne had a memorandum describing his operational plan for the police department during legislative days. The Board specifically requested that written memo before reaching a decision.

Two weeks later, the May 19 minutes establish that Towne provided a detailed plan and that the Board expressed support for it immediately before voting 5-0 to approve his concurrent service.

But the minutes do not reproduce the contents of that plan.

That leaves practical questions that the underlying document may help answer.

How would Towne divide his time between Berwick and Augusta? Who would exercise command responsibilities when Towne is performing legislative duties? How would his work schedule or leave be handled? Would the arrangement affect his compensation or benefits? What provisions exist for circumstances requiring the police chief’s attention while he is fulfilling legislative responsibilities?

And with the May 5 minutes specifically noting the upcoming retirement of the department’s captain, how does that personnel change factor into the operational plan?

Rather than speculate about those answers, The Maine Mirror has requested the underlying document.

On August 31, The Maine Mirror submitted a Freedom of Access Act request to Berwick Town Manager Arthur Capello seeking the complete written plan, memorandum or other document Towne provided concerning his concurrent service, including any attachments or exhibits.

The request also seeks the email or other correspondence through which Towne submitted or transmitted the plan to the Town Manager, Town Clerk, Select Board members or other town officials.

(August 31, 2026 FOAA request to Berwick Town Manager Arthur Capello seeking Chief Timothy Towne’s complete written concurrent-service plan, attachments and the correspondence through which the plan was submitted to town officials.)

Obtaining that document will allow the public to see more precisely what arrangement was presented to the Select Board before its unanimous vote.

The “Placeholder” Statement Raises a Separate Question

The practical implications of holding two public roles are only one part of the story.

Towne’s description of how his candidacy began raises a separate set of questions.

By March 13, according to Maine’s campaign-finance system, Towne had filed with the Secretary of State as a candidate for state representative.

Then, on May 5, the Town’s official minutes recorded Towne saying he had “originally agreed to run only as a placeholder but is now considering running for the office.”

The minutes offer no further explanation of that statement.

The word “placeholder,” standing alone, does not establish wrongdoing or impropriety. But understanding how a candidacy for public office originated is relevant context for voters, particularly when the candidate already occupies a significant municipal position and intends to retain that position if elected.

Who approached Towne about becoming a candidate? When did he agree? What did “placeholder” mean in this particular situation? And when did his intentions change from serving as a placeholder to considering actively pursuing the seat?

The currently available meeting minutes do not answer those questions.

A Second Records Request Seeks the Communications Behind the Timeline

To examine those unanswered questions separately, The Maine Mirror submitted another Freedom of Access Act request on August 31, this one directly to Chief Towne.

Unlike the request to the Town Manager, which narrowly seeks the operational plan and its transmission records, the request to Towne seeks communications concerning his candidacy and its relationship to his position as Berwick Police Chief.

The request covers records dating from January 1, 2026 to the present and seeks responsive communications involving members of the Maine Legislature or other state officials, members of the Berwick Select Board, and Berwick town officials, employees, administrators or legal counsel.

It specifically seeks communications concerning Towne’s candidacy, campaign, decision to seek office, discussions with the Town regarding his candidacy, and any potential effect of candidacy or legislative service on his employment, work schedule, duties, availability, leave, compensation, benefits or continued service as police chief.

(The Maine Mirror’s separate August 31, 2026 FOAA request to Chief Timothy Towne seeking communications concerning his District 149 candidacy, discussions with state and Berwick officials, and the potential effect of legislative service on his continued employment as police chief.)

The request identifies Thomas Lavigne among the state officials whose communications could potentially be responsive.

His inclusion is a search parameter intended to help identify potentially responsive records. It should not be interpreted as evidence that communications between Towne and Lavigne occurred.

Whether any such communications exist is one of the questions the records request may answer.

Two Requests, Two Different Questions

The distinction between the two public-records requests is important.

The request to the Town Manager seeks the document underlying an action that has already occurred: What exactly did the Select Board approve on May 19?

The request to Chief Towne seeks records that may provide additional context about a different question: How did Towne’s candidacy and the proposed dual-role arrangement develop?

Neither request assumes what the records will show.

The records could answer some of the outstanding questions, create new ones, or demonstrate that certain communications simply do not exist.

The Maine Mirror will report what the records establish once they are produced and reviewed.

Two Public Roles, One Continuing Question

What is already established through the public record is a clear sequence.

Towne’s state candidate record reports a March 13 filing date.

On May 5, Towne appeared before the Berwick Select Board, said he had originally agreed to run only as a placeholder, described the legislative schedule and asked the Board to consider allowing him to serve simultaneously as Berwick Police Chief and a state representative.

The Board requested the written operational plan Towne had already prepared and presented to members, then postponed its decision.

The Select Board approved the concurrent-service arrangement 5-0.

Now, months after those meetings and as the election approaches, the larger issue is no longer simply what happened during two Select Board meetings in May.

It is what the arrangement would mean in practice if Towne is elected.

The records currently available do not establish that Towne cannot effectively perform both roles. At the same time, the proposed arrangement presents a legitimate question for the residents who depend on the leadership of Berwick’s police department and the voters deciding who should represent District 149:

Can the responsibilities of leading a municipal police department be effectively balanced with the responsibilities of representing a legislative district in Augusta?

The operational plan and other records now being sought may provide the public with additional information to evaluate that question.

The Maine Mirror will update this reporting as responsive records are obtained and reviewed.

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