Incumbent and newcomer vie for Blue Hill board seat

Feb. 24, 2026

By Tricia Thomas

BLUE HILL—Blue Hill select board chair Ellen Best is running for a fourth term this spring. She will face newcomer Scott Crowmwell in the town’s only contested election on April 3. Both candidates took time this week to answer questions about their candidacy, and what each would bring to the role if elected.

Ellen Best seeks her fourth term on the Blue Hill select board. Courtesy photo.

Ellen Best

What is your occupation?

[An] almost retired lawyer. I am in the process of wrapping up my general practice and finishing outstanding matters for my clients. After that is done, I will keep my license but will restrict my practice to one or two non-profits.

How long have you served on the select board, and how long have you been its chair?

I am at the end of my third term, which means nine years on the select board.

Have you held any other paid, appointed or volunteer positions in the town or on the peninsula?

I was on the board of Blue Hill Public Library for 20 years, and was president of the board there for two separate terms. I have been on the board and was president of Blue Hill Heritage Trust, and continue to be on their Lands Committee. I have also been on the board of the Jonathan Fisher Memorial. Over the years it has been my pleasure to represent and advise numerous other non-profits on the peninsula and on Deer Isle.

What do you feel are your greatest accomplishments since joining the select board?

I am not going to point to any one item, but I do feel that we have moved the board to a more proactive position, identifying issues and how we can work on them going forward. One example is having an engineering firm evaluate all town roads and provide a priority list indicating appropriate actions for each, and then following through on those recommendations. Another is acquiring the land on which BHCS is located. Although that may have appeared to be a by-product of acquiring the land on Tenney Hill, it is actually something the board has worked on for several years. Now we are working on the relocation of the fire station and the construction of a new public safety building which we trust will serve the community for many decades going forward. These are team efforts, which is how it should be.

What prompted you to run for re-election?

Originally, I had not planned on running but I found once my day job hours were reduced significantly, I had more time and energy to devote to the town issues and that I was enjoying doing so. By this summer, I plan to be providing legal services to only one or two nonprofits, which will free up more time for town issues. In terms of what I have to offer the town, I believe I provide a long term view of the town, having lived here my entire adult life, running a small business for over 40 years and having been interested and involved in the town throughout that time. Through my work and civic involvement, I have broad contacts throughout the community, which can be very helpful. I think that perspective is helpful in addressing the issues that arise every week.

What are the most pressing issues facing the town of Blue Hill and/or Blue Hill schools? What will you do about these issues?

One, funding the public Safety building construction. Two, GSA appears to be at a crossroads and will be a big issue for a significant part of our population. Three, determining how we can control property tax increases while maintaining needed services, in which I include maintenance of town assets. Four, affordable housing is of course a huge issue—I feel the town can support initiatives to work on this, but is not in a position to solve it on its own.

Scott Cromwell says a dearth of volunteers in Maine towns led him to run for Blue Hill select board. Courtesy photo.

Scott P. Cromwell

What is your occupation?

Engineer.

Have you held any other paid, appointed or volunteer positions in the town or on the peninsula?

I served as treasurer of the East Blue Hill Village Improvement Association in [about] 2005.

How has your paid or volunteer work prepared you for this role?

I enjoyed managing and presenting the budget and expenses in a clearly understandable manner. I also enjoyed finding ways to accrue interest on idle cash which did not interfere with short term priorities.

What prompted you to run?

I had been reading articles about Maine towns struggling to get people willing to be on their boards. In other cases, the seats are filled but there has been limited scrutiny of the topics at hand. A friend coincidentally suggested I pursue the select board, and I realized there might be a good fit.

Have you previously run for a municipal office in Blue Hill or elsewhere?

No other municipal runs.

What are the most pressing issues facing the town of Blue Hill / Blue Hill schools? What will you do about these issues?

At this time, my most pressing issue is getting up to speed on all the work the select board has done. The team is really great and I'm thankful for their willingness to entertain my comments and requests. Financial stability is my priority.

—Polls will be open on April 3 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Also, a town meeting will begin with the election of a meeting moderator at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium at town hall. According to the town website, absentee ballots also will be available 30 days before the election for those who are unable to vote in person.