For Megan Hutton, a council in tune with its constituents would be music to her ears.

A local, longtime musician, and community volunteer, Ms. Hutton is hoping to bring her instinct for listening to the council table as she seeks the Sophiasburgh seat in the Oct. 26 municipal election.

“One of my strengths is being able to sit around a table with people who have very different opinions, hear everyone’s perspectives, see the bigger picture and find a way forward,” Ms. Hutton said.

It is an approach she says would be particularly important as council confronts wastewater, development, and the rising cost of living.

Ms. Hutton said large-scale development and wastewater costs were among the issues that pushed her to run.

“Water is non-negotiable. We have to have it. Our plant is not doing well,” she said. “We can’t put it off anymore.”

Her questions are about how much the municipality takes on, when it takes it on and how much of the cost ultimately lands on residents.

Ms. Hutton said council needs to examine whether the full projected debt is necessary now and whether there are ways to phase the work or offset some of the expense.

“There’s the balance. It’s finding developments that will pay into it. It’s finding what we can actually afford,” she said.

That same balance extends to development.

Ms. Hutton said the County needs growth and more housing, but she wants to see it happen in a way that reflects the needs of people already living here.

“I know we need affordable and attainable housing, but my question is, attainable for whom?” she said.

She pointed to young people, families and workers she has encountered through her community work who are finding it increasingly difficult to remain in the County.

Keeping younger residents here would be one measure of success for Ms. Hutton.

“If they could stay because they found an affordable apartment or an attainable house and a job, I would consider that a huge, huge success,” she said.

“I came from a house where everyone has a job and everybody is working just for the basics — to pay for the water, to pay for food, for rent, for electricity,” Ms. Hutton said. “And you don’t really get to enjoy all the things that make this place special because you’re working to live.”

That perspective also informs her approach to the local economy.

Ms. Hutton wants to see more economic activity outside the summer tourism season and supports exploring an increase to the municipal accommodation tax. She has suggested using additional revenue to help with infrastructure costs while supporting events and industries that can create more consistent employment for locals.

She has also floated the idea of a County winter festival, something she says could give both residents and visitors a reason to come together during the quieter months.

But the questions Ms. Hutton heard at her recent meet and greet weren’t limited to the big issues facing the municipality. Residents also brought her practical concerns about their daily lives, including accessibility, sidewalks and the availability of benches.

Ms. Hutton said if elected she would like to hold regular community meetings, giving residents a chance to raise concerns and ask questions before decisions are made at Shire Hall.

Having spent much of her life building businesses and working in the community, Ms. Hutton is prepared to step away from her business if elected, allowing her to give the job her full attention.

“At the end of four years, I want my constituents to feel like they know what’s happening at Shire Hall, that they’ve been part of the conversation and that their voices are actually being represented there,” she said.

“You can’t represent the people unless you’re sitting down with them and you’re talking with them.”