MILBRIDGE – In a little under three hours, approximately 150 residents on Monday night decided to spend $804,025 to run their town government in 2003.
The “flat” budget matched the same total presented to voters a year ago.
“We underspent last year’s budget by about $70,000 but budgeted the same amount this year to pay for capital improvements we knew would be coming up,” Town Manager Fred Ventresco said Tuesday.
In a 69-68 vote, Eric Beal edged out incumbent Linden Perry for the three-year seat on the Board of Selectmen.
Billy Martin was returned unopposed to a three-year seat on the Board of Assessors.
Corinne Stanwood was elected to a three-year term as a director of SAD 37. Incumbent Charles McDaniel and Everett Leighton were elected unopposed to three-year terms on the Water and Sewer District.
The new budget included a $15,000 payment toward a $47,000 dump truck for the highway department, $10,000 for repairs to the town office building, and $10,000 to a reserve fund to repair Jordan Pier.
Another $21,000 in the municipal budget increase included general administration expenses for computer equipment and a 1.5 percent across-the-board salary increase, as well as extra fuel and utility expenditures.
Ventresco said town officials might decide to close the town hall, which functions as a community center, for the rest of the winter to save on heating costs. Costs already are running higher than last year’s total.
Voters turned down a proposed amendment to a warrant article concerning the Police Department.
By a strong majority, residents voted against reducing the Police Department budget by $27,000, equal to the salary of one full-time officer.
The town, which has a population of 1,200, has one part-time and two full-time officers. The salary of one full-time officer is partially funded by a federal grant.
Ventresco said the town is dealing with three major issues. Rebuilding of the Jordan Pier, which represents about 50 percent of the fishing town’s economic base, is estimated at $500,000.
The eastern Maine Development Corp. is helping the town seek grants for that project.
The town also must find a new site for its salt and sand pile by next fall.
Town officials also are in the process of changing the fiscal year schedule from the calendar year to July 1 to June 30 to coincide with the state and school district.
Taxes may go up with the new school budget and a 13 percent increase in state valuation of ongoing waterfront development and new real estate, according to Ventresco.
The tax rate is $23.30 per $1,000 in assessed property value.
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