Sep 26, 2026 · 50 min · 14 segments
Jennifer Navarro, a 10th-generation Brunswick native and candidate for an at-large seat on the Brunswick Town Council, joins Chuck Ellis for her first-ever interview. After years of attending council…
Jennifer NavarroGuest
Chuck EllisHost
I mean, we got to prioritize our existing, you know, citizens before we consider, you know, other people, right? Like, you know, and that's one of the things that all across the state, I think schools and city councils and stuff like that are not necessarily prioritizing.
And having gotten involved in Maine politics and paying attention to what's going on in school boards and city councils, I do think it's kind of a weird thing that generally speaking, the rule of thumb by school boards and city councils is just to not respond to anything that's said by somebody in public comment.
Um, it's, it's very fascinating and it's also, and I want to give you an opportunity to speak to a couple of these things.
Cause the other thing that's, that's really interesting is that like a lot of school boards and city councils, like you said, they kind of do stuff in the shadows.
then they're like well why haven't you been involved you should have been involved in the beginning you should come it was
when was the last time you showed up to a city council or school board meeting um i actually got that leveled at me by my opponent's husband when i was running for house both times like i haven't seen you at a city council meeting and it's like i mean like life is busy it's not that i don't care um it's but i also wasn't running for a city council or school board seat i was running for a house seat so i I don't know why.
So how do you, like, what's a better way to handle those types of situations? And what do you say to school board members and city counselors who are suggesting that you don't get to have a say unless you've been to all the meetings and read all the notes?
Well, they wouldn't ever be able to say that to me because anybody who knows me knows that I am at all of them via Zoom or in person.
I think that they would definitely say that, yeah, know well something i've actually learned i'll switch that up is that it's not as easy as it looks i will i will say that um however i would i would say that we need to have more of a two-way forum i think i feel as if the people really could understand and comprehend and grasp and see more benefit for what we're paying out show us what we're getting for these tax dollars for our expense and if they could understand the process and feel more included in it and it not be, as you said, so behind closed doors or in the back, then they could get behind it.
But I've got to say, I do remember there was some sort of a policy switch when we were making the comp plan in 2020, it must have been three or four, where they removed some type of coverage from the town council and separated the school board from the oversight of the public and the town council.
So I want to kind of dive into that a little bit more, should I be paying more attention, and I'm sure I will be in that situation.
I mean, we got to prioritize our existing, you know, citizens before we consider, you know, other people, right? Like, you know, and that's one of the things that all across the state, I think schools and city councils and stuff like that are not necessarily prioritizing.
And having gotten involved in Maine politics and paying attention to what's going on in school boards and city councils, I do think it's kind of a weird thing that generally speaking, the rule of thumb by school boards and city councils is just to not respond to anything that's said by somebody in public comment.
Um, it's, it's very fascinating and it's also, and I want to give you an opportunity to speak to a couple of these things.
Cause the other thing that's, that's really interesting is that like a lot of school boards and city councils, like you said, they kind of do stuff in the shadows.
then they're like well why haven't you been involved you should have been involved in the beginning you should come it was
when was the last time you showed up to a city council or school board meeting um i actually got that leveled at me by my opponent's husband when i was running for house both times like i haven't seen you at a city council meeting and it's like i mean like life is busy it's not that i don't care um it's but i also wasn't running for a city council or school board seat i was running for a house seat so i I don't know why.
So how do you, like, what's a better way to handle those types of situations? And what do you say to school board members and city counselors who are suggesting that you don't get to have a say unless you've been to all the meetings and read all the notes?
Well, they wouldn't ever be able to say that to me because anybody who knows me knows that I am at all of them via Zoom or in person.
I think that they would definitely say that, yeah, know well something i've actually learned i'll switch that up is that it's not as easy as it looks i will i will say that um however i would i would say that we need to have more of a two-way forum i think i feel as if the people really could understand and comprehend and grasp and see more benefit for what we're paying out show us what we're getting for these tax dollars for our expense and if they could understand the process and feel more included in it and it not be, as you said, so behind closed doors or in the back, then they could get behind it.
But I've got to say, I do remember there was some sort of a policy switch when we were making the comp plan in 2020, it must have been three or four, where they removed some type of coverage from the town council and separated the school board from the oversight of the public and the town council.
So I want to kind of dive into that a little bit more, should I be paying more attention, and I'm sure I will be in that situation.
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