Every article on the Bremen town warrant passed with almost no discussion at an Annual Town Meeting that lasted just under an hour on March 26 at the Bremen Town Office.
Bremen Selectmen Wendy Pieh and Tom Kostenbader speculated the quick meeting resulted from the fact that the town’s finances are in much better shape now than they were a year ago.
“We’re almost back to where we’d like to be” in regards to surplus, reserve accounts and other means of maintaining a stable tax rate and effectively fulfilling all the necessary town services, Kostenbader said.
Voters approved a town budget of $638,971 and a secondary school budget of $333,229, for an overall budget – before the addition of the Great Salt Bay school budget later this spring – of $972,200, a $48,365 (4.7 percent) decrease from last year’s budget.
In the only contested race in this year’s municipal officer’s elections, Hank Nevins defeated Gene Boothby for a seat on the Bremen Board of Selectmen by a vote of 90 to 21.
Wendy Pieh won re-election for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen.
Two items that received some attention from voters were the Harbor Master’s salary and the article designating funds for the town’s various reserve accounts.
Before passing the article establishing the Harbor Master’s salary nearly unanimously, residents amended the article to raise the salary by $500, to $2500.
The Harbor Master’s salary, as well as the rest of the Harbor Operations budget is paid for out of the Harbor Committee’s account, built up from harbor fees, which currently has about $26,000 in it, committee members said at the meeting.
The reserve accounts article, which put away a total of $42,000 in various reserve accounts, passed as written.
Prior to passing the article, the town defeated a motion made by Gene Boothby to take the money from surplus instead of taxes.
“We need that surplus to avoid borrowing money before taxes come in,” said Lisa Wilson, Chairman of the Bremen Budget Committee.
Kostenbader said next year or the year after the town might have enough in surplus to draw from.
“A good chunk of what looks like surplus funds are tied up in accounts designated for things like paving,” Kostenbader said. “This is where we’ve been trying to get to. Where we’re able to comfortably get through the year.”
Other items, each of which passed with no discussion, gave raises to several town employees and increased the town’s road budget 13.7 percent ($32,480).
