Common Ground. Focused Leadership. Real Results.
Join me in bringing Waterville together around common ground, focused leadership, and real results. Together, we can build on what makes our city strong, tackle the challenges in front of us, and move Waterville forward.
Endorsed By
Waterville ME Police Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #10 - Police Union
Tom Nale Sr. - Former Mayor of Waterville (D)
Bill Mitchell
Bruce White - Former Maine State Representative (D)
Brent Burger
Paul Boudreau - Former Maine State Representative (R)
Tracy Nale Sewall
Tom Nale Jr. - Former Planning Board Member
Gregg Perkins
Andy Chapman
Alonzo Michaud
Hollie Kunesh
Matthew Pouliot - Former Maine State Senator (R)
Chris Poirier
Olivia Kunesh
Meet Matt
Waterville is more than where I live and work. It is where my family and I have chosen to build our life, raise our children, invest, and be part of the community. I grew up in Scarborough, Maine, and began my career in real estate shortly after high school. Over the years, that career grew into business ownership, real estate development, property investment, and the redevelopment of homes and commercial properties throughout Central Maine. My family and I made Waterville our home several years ago, and since then I have become deeply invested in the future of this city—both personally and professionally. Through my work, I have seen Waterville from many different perspectives. I have worked with homeowners, tenants, business owners, contractors, investors, city staff, and community organizations. I have experienced firsthand the challenges of creating housing, revitalizing properties, operating businesses, navigating local government, and turning an idea into something tangible. I have also had the opportunity to serve our community, including on the Waterville Planning Board, the Waterville Housing Committee, and the board of Habitat for Humanity. In 2025, I was honored to be named Developer of the Year by the Central Maine Growth Council. I was also invited to speak from the developer's perspective at Waterville's Housing Summit, bringing firsthand experience to the conversation around housing growth, development challenges, and opportunities for the city. Those experiences reinforced something I already believed: Waterville has no shortage of talented people, good ideas, or opportunity. The challenge is bringing those pieces together and turning them into progress. Tori and I are raising our daughters here, and that gives me an even greater stake in what Waterville looks like five, ten, and twenty years from now. I am proud of what Waterville already has to offer—a vibrant downtown, strong neighborhoods, two colleges, a major hospital, parks and trails, arts and culture, local businesses, and residents who care deeply about where they live. My professional and community experience has taught me the value of listening, bringing the right people together, making thoughtful decisions, and following through. Those are lessons I try to bring to everything I do.
My Priorities
Waterville is a city with tremendous potential. We have strong neighborhoods, great schools, two colleges, a hospital, beautiful parks and trails, a growing downtown, local businesses, and people who genuinely care about this community.
I’m running for Mayor because I believe the pieces are already here. What we need is focused leadership that brings people together, sets clear priorities, and turns good ideas into real results.
Local government should not be about political labels or national divisions. Most of us want the same basic things: safe neighborhoods, strong schools, a thriving local economy, responsible spending, quality housing, and a community we are proud to call home. We may not always agree on exactly how to get there, but we can start from that common ground.
My approach to leadership is simple: listen to the people closest to the issues, bring the right people to the table, establish clear goals, and follow through. Too often, communities spend years discussing problems that everyone already knows exist. Waterville needs a culture of action, accountability, and measurable progress.
As a local business owner, real estate professional, developer, and someone who has served on community boards and committees, I’ve spent years working through complicated problems, bringing people together, and turning ideas into completed projects. I know that progress rarely comes from one person having all the answers. It comes from identifying the goal, surrounding yourself with capable people, and staying focused until the job is done.
As Mayor, I want Waterville to be more proactive about economic development, housing, public safety, homelessness and recovery, downtown vitality, and the everyday quality-of-life issues that matter to residents. I also want our city employees, department leaders, businesses, nonprofits, colleges, and residents to feel that their experience and ideas are being heard and put to use.
This campaign is not about dramatic promises or politics for the sake of politics. It is about building on what is already great about Waterville, addressing the areas where we can do better, and creating a city government that is responsive, ambitious, and focused on results.
Common Ground. Focused Leadership. Real Results.
The Mayor's Role in Waterville
Leadership That Uses the Office to Its Full Potential
The Mayor of Waterville is not the chief executive officer of the City. Under our City Charter, Waterville operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The City Manager oversees the day-to-day operation of City government, and the City Council holds the City's legislative authority.
I think it's important to be clear about that.
I'm not running for Mayor promising that I can walk into City Hall and unilaterally change departments, rewrite the budget, or solve every problem by myself. That's not how our government works—and I believe residents deserve a Mayor who understands both the powers and the limitations of the office.
But limited authority does not have to mean limited leadership.
The Charter gives the Mayor several important tools, and I intend to use them actively.
Set the agenda.
The Mayor can place items on the City Council agenda and determine the order in which they are considered. I will use that ability to keep important issues in front of the Council and prevent difficult problems from continually being pushed down the road.
Bring the right people to the table.
The Mayor appoints members of Waterville's boards and commissions, subject to Council approval. These appointments should be more than filling vacancies. I want to actively recruit residents with the experience, perspective, and willingness to help move Waterville forward.
I also want to work with the Council to create small, focused groups around some of our biggest challenges. Give them a clear mission, bring together people who understand the issue, establish measurable goals and a defined timeline, and then bring actionable recommendations back to the Council.
Lead the conversation on priorities and spending.
The Mayor receives and reviews the City Manager's proposed budget and delivers a budget message to the Council. While the Mayor does not unilaterally write or approve the budget, I will use that opportunity to clearly communicate priorities, ask difficult questions, advocate for responsible spending, and keep the focus on the value taxpayers receive for their dollars.
Use the Mayor's voice.
Some of the most important influence of a Mayor isn't contained in a line of the Charter.
A Mayor can bring people together. A Mayor can advocate for Waterville with businesses, developers, colleges, nonprofits, state leaders and potential investors. A Mayor can publicly recognize what's working, call attention to what isn't, and build support around solutions.
I want to be an active advocate and cheerleader for this city—not only inside City Hall, but throughout Maine.
Build consensus—and act when necessary.
The Mayor presides over City Council meetings, can break tie votes, can call special Council meetings when circumstances require it, and possesses veto authority over most Council actions.
Those powers should be used responsibly. My first approach will always be to find common ground, build consensus, and move good ideas forward together. But leadership also means being willing to take a position when one is necessary.
A Different Measure of Mayoral Leadership
I don't believe the effectiveness of a Mayor should be measured by how much authority he claims to have.
It should be measured by what gets accomplished.
My job will be to identify priorities, bring together capable people, create urgency where it's needed, build consensus around good solutions, and keep pushing until we see measurable progress.
That's how I have approached challenges throughout my professional life, and that's how I intend to approach the Mayor's office.
Common Ground. Focused Leadership. Real Results.
