Boothbay Harbor residents will convene Saturday, May 3 at 9 a.m. to act on a proposed $4,118,853 budget, which is a very slight increase over last year’s budget.
“There are no big issues. The budget is up less than 1 percent than the previous year which equates to about $32,000, (not including CSD or county),” Thomas Woodin, Boothbay Harbor’s town manager writes in an email April 28.
The warrant asks voters to appropriate: $2,861,932 for the municipal budget; $994,603 for street lights, hydrants, Boothbay Region Refuse Disposal District and Bayville/Isle of Spring accounts; $134,380 for ambulance service; and $127,938 for the town’s support organizations.
Article 21 asks the town to appropriate $134,380 from taxes for the ambulance service and additionally transfer $34,107 from the current fiscal year’s general fund, which represents a total ambulance service budget of $168,487.
Municipal elections are Friday, May 2 at the Boothbay Harbor Municipal Building. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In the selectmen races Wendy Wolfe and Christopher Haskell are both seeking the one-year term on the board of selectmen vacated by Robert Splaine; Jay Warren and Denise Griffin are unopposed in their re-election bid for three-year terms.
Voters will also decide by secret ballot on May 2 whether to authorize the Boothbay Harbor Sewer District to accept a $275,000 loan and a $125,000 grant from the United States Department of Rural Development. The purpose of the project is to reline the sewer lines on Commercial Street and the Commercial Street extension.
The loan amount of $275,000 will be financed for 40 years at a 3 percent interest rate, which represents an annual debt payment of $11,900.
Woodin said he does not expect any controversy on a proposed change in the fireworks ordinance, which reads:
“Any person, business or entity issued a fireworks display permit by the Department of Public Safety, Fire Marshall’s Office is required to post a public notice in the local newspaper at the expense of the applicant to inform the public of the display at least seven (7) days prior to the event.”
“I am anticipating another smooth town meeting. Our budgets have remained flat for five out of the last seven years. The mil rate has decreased or remained flat in five of the last 7 years,” Woodin writes.
