About Andrew

As a dad to two girls, Andrew Swayze occasionally finds himself with 27 sparkly barrettes in his beard or his head covered in stickers. Now that both of those girls are students in Cape Elizabeth Schools, he's confronted with the reality that the Elementary and Middle schools haven't changed all that much since his wife graduated from CEHS in 2000. He's invested in working with the community to find ways to bring improved school buildings to Cape.

Andrew grew up in the suburban outskirts of Philadelphia along the Main Line. These roots mean that he has a passion for trains, cheesesteaks, and will forever cheer for the Phillies (sorry, Red Sox & Yankees fans!) He spent summers in Maine at Flying Moose Lodge, where he learned how to build canoes and use them to explore all over the state. He landed in Boston for college and ended up meeting his wife while both were employed by MIT. During the covid pandemic, she lobbied hard for a move to Maine and they have no regrets (Andrew does miss his softball team, The Facemelters.)

Always interested in computers and gadgets, and the software that makes them work, working for MIT has been a great joy. As a DevOps Engineer there, Andrew works remotely on server operations and maintenance. His success at work comes from his ability to cut to the heart of a problem while listening to the concerns of both MIT's diverse community and external partners. Projects for his team often affect thousands of people, so approaching each issue with caution and thorough research is key. But sometimes you just have to turn it off and on again.

Topics

Recognizing that a community’s needs, input, and actions are ever evolving, here’s where Andrew stands on recent issues affecting Cape.

Transparency

Transparency engenders trust. Government is about being in service of the people. It means being frank and honest with constituents about what we are doing, being accountable for our actions, and communicating openly. You should trust your representatives and as your elected councilor, I would endeavor to build that trust.

Schools

My wife’s parents moved to Cape Elizabeth specifically for the strength of its schools. Forty years later, we moved back to Cape with our two daughters because, again, we knew they would get an excellent education here. That said, Cape’s school buildings have reached (and in some cases, have already exceeded) the end of their useful life. When Cape invests in our infrastructure, we encourage the best teachers and administrators to stay, and give our students the best modern education available.

I will be voting Yes on Schools.

Workforce Housing

Adding workforce housing and making ADUs an accessible option helps people of all ages and incomes, from recent graduates to seniors looking to downsize. Adding housing options offers an opportunity for people employed within Cape, including small business owners, to live near their jobs. Mixing workforce housing with small business development in the town center allows for transportation options other than needing a car.

Green Spaces

Protecting Cape Elizabeth’s natural beauty does not have to be at odds with workforce housing. Rather than develop places like Gull Crest, which would be prohibitively expensive, let’s figure out a way to use land that has already been developed and bring some density to our town center.

Part of keeping Cape Elizabeth a beautiful place to live is to make sure roads are safe to walk and bike on. We’d worry less about a congested town center if it was walkable, bikeable, and even accessible to public transit.

Small Businesses

The businesses in Cape are central to our community. They support community fundraisers, donate time and materials to the schools, and reduce our residential tax burden. We could do a better job in reciprocating this support; making it easier for new businesses to move in and for existing businesses to stay.

Taxes

Living in a neighborhood that has traditionally been blue collar, I regularly encounter residents who are understandably concerned with rising taxes. The recent property revaluation has been particularly scary for them. It’s time to consider 1) how we provide tax relief and, 2) diversifying the tax base by making Cape more encouraging to small businesses and new residents.

Traffic Calming

I have heard considerable concern from neighbors about traffic speeds in the center of town. Whether they’re tourists flying though our town center on the way to Crescent Beach or residents in a hurry, we need open discussion about ways to modify parts of town where the speeds of vehicles are dangerously high. Calmer traffic will increase the safety for bikers, pedestrians, runners, students, and patrons of our local businesses.

  • "He has a genuine interest in crafting realistic and thoughtful plans to address some of our town’s biggest challenges, and importantly is not someone running with a prescriptive solution or predetermined ideology."

    Jamie Garvin, Former Town Councilor

  • "Andrew Swayze is passionate and tenacious in his efforts to improve the community for all of Cape Elizabeth's people."

    Kevin Davis-Knowlton

  • "He is poised to move the next council in a direction that embraces the advice of experts and legal counsel—as well as common sense—to advance this wonderful community we all call home."

    Kevin Justh

In Print

2024

  • 9.25.2024 - Statement prepared for the Cape Dems as a bid to seek endorsement.

  • 9.18.2024 - “Six candidates vie for Cape Elizabeth Town Council seats” Cape Courier.

  • 9.18.2024 - Andrew Swayze Announces Candidacy for Town Council (Press Release) Cape Courier.

  • 9.18.2024 - Jamie Garvin: “Swayze ‘Values Diverse Perspectives’” (Letter to the Editor) Cape Courier

  • 9.4.2024 - Kevin Justh: “Swayze brings relevant experience” (Letter to the Editor) Cape Courier

  • 5.22.2024 - Andrew Swayze: “What could have been for Cape” (Letter to the Editor) Cape Courier

  • 5.8.2024 - Andrew Swayze: “Kudos to the School Board” (Letter to the Editor) Cape Courier

2023

Contact Andrew