Two Votes Can Decide Matters for 150,000 Penobscot County Residents

David Marshall was elected chair of the Penobscot County Commissioners with support from only two of the board's three members, Andre Cushing and himself, while Commissioner Dan Tremble voted against him. Penobscot is the state's most populous county governed by just three commissioners, the minimum allowed under Maine law, meaning two votes can decide matters affecting about 150,000 residents. Four Maine counties have five commissioners and one, Androscoggin, has seven. Franklin County expanded from three to five commissioners in 2024 because of the county's growing population and changing needs, the Bangor Daily News reported. Franklin Commissioners Bob Carlton and Tom Saviello said a three-member board can make it harder to represent a large, spread-out county and risks commissioners accidentally forming an illegal quorum when they cross paths outside meetings. Saviello said the five-member board has slowed down some meetings but made commissioners more well-rounded, and Carlton said the county's 29,000 residents are now better represented than before. Penobscot's commissioners said they usually vote unanimously, and Tremble said residents have not pushed for a larger board. Since January 2025, only four of their votes have failed to be unanimous, they said. Commissioners can expand the board only with voter approval, which requires new districts and a countywide election.

This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.