FALMOUTH — None of the open seats for town office will be contested at the June 14 election, but each three-year spot for Town Council and School Board will be filled.

There are three council seats up for grabs, and three candidates are running. Claudia King is the only incumbent seeking re-election, as Chairman David Goldberg and Vice Chairman Russell Anderson opted not to seek second terms. Aaron Svedlow and Andrea Ferrante are running for the open seats.

King, 63, was first elected to the council in 2013. She said there a number of things that prompted her to run for re-election, including the Route 100 redevelopment project; continuing to work towards the Comprehensive Plan goal of creating two economic hubs in east and west Falmouth; continuing efforts to acquire and conserve land for open space; and ensuring there are a variety of housing options for the town’s changing demographic.

King, a retired physical therapist who is on the executive committee for the Sierra Club of Maine, said she will miss Goldberg and Anderson on the council, but looks forward to “finding out what this new council will feel like.”

“I’m happy I can be a continuation,” King said. “There’s enormous value in what I’ve learned and what I’ve done.”

Ferrante, 57, is a business consultant and leadership coach who said she has lived in West Falmouth most of her adult life. She has volunteered on boards and in area hospitals, and wanted to give back to Falmouth as well. Ferrante said she’s been encouraged to run for council over the years, and decided now is the time to do it.

Svedlow, 34, is a renewable energy developer with Ranger Solar, a solar development company with an office in Yarmouth. He’s lived in Falmouth for about nine years and has served on the conservation commission and the land management and acquisition committee. Additionally, Svedlow coaches youth lacrosse and is co-president of Falmouth youth football. Svedlow said he saw a run for town council as a way to increase his service to the community.

“I want to make sure Falmouth grows and develops in a smart way,” Svedlow said, adding that he is pro economic development, but wants to see it done responsibly. He also said he wants to make sure the schools stay strong.

On the School Board side, two seats are open. Incumbent Caryn Bickerstaff is running for her second term. Jennifer Libby is running for the seat vacated by Clare Harrington, who opted not to run again.

Bickerstaff, 42, works in the telecommunications industry. She “thoroughly enjoyed” her first term, adding that the board is “a strong group that works well together and has done some great things on behalf of our children.” She has chaired the board’s policy committee for two years.

Libby, 45, is a middle school teacher in Scarborough. She grew up in Falmouth, and, after her mother Irene was elected to the School Board in 1981, Libby was inspired to “follow in her footsteps.” She serves on the board of Girls on the Run Maine, and was part of the search for the school district’s new athletic director.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. at Falmouth High School, 74 Woodville Road.

Colin Ellis can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 123 or cellis@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @colinoellis.

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