Morris secures 4,022 votes to win second Waterville mayoral term

Waterville Mayor Michael Morris won re-election on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Matthew Boulerice for the second time in three years. Unofficial results show Morris, a Democrat, received 4,022 votes to Boulerice's 2,012.

The city of Waterville is one of the few in Maine that uses party labels for local races. Morris won his first three-year term in 2023 with a wide margin over the same opponent. He begins his second term in January.

Boulerice, a real estate developer, focused his campaign on city leadership and accountability. At a forum hosted by the Morning Sentinel last month, he asked voters if the city is more affordable, safer, or more efficient than it was three years ago. He argued that the City Council should have prevented the mayor from vetoing this year's budget. Boulerice also advocated for a more aggressive approach to courting developers and managing issues related to addiction and homelessness.

Morris, who works for Bank of America, defended his record by pointing to the city's recovery from frequent city manager turnover. He stated that careful leadership requires time and cited economic growth as evidence of progress. Specifically, he highlighted the planned Amazon facility on the Waterville-Sidney line as a sign of that growth.

In July, Morris vetoed the city budget, arguing it relied too heavily on the city's undesignated fund balance. Boulerice criticized that decision, claiming he would have managed the budget process differently to avoid the need for a mayoral veto.