Damariscotta residents will consider a 48-article warrant in two parts over two days next week.
The first 10 articles will be voted on by secret ballot from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9 at the Damariscotta town office. These articles include the uncontested candidates and appropriations for provider agencies.
The remaining articles will be voted on at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10 at Skidompha Library.
The Damariscotta Select Board recommends a municipal budget totaling $4,917,854, an increase of $352,913.95 or 7.73% from last year.
The capital reserve budget totals $881,750, an increase of $130,750 or 17.41%. Contained within the budget are the sidewalk capital reserve totaling $100,000, an increase of $30,000 or 42.86% and the paving capital reserve totaling $200,000, an increase of $50,000 or 33.33%. The increases are not because of anything new, but to make sure there is money available for sidewalk and pavement issues, Damariscotta Select Board Chair Daryl Fraser said.
The general government budget totals $1,320,540, an increase of $129,900 or 10.91%. Within it, the planning and development budget totals $225,990, an increase of $33,105 or 17.16%. Fraser said the increase is because of a combination of software, health care, and contracted services with Midcoast Council of Governments for assisting with site plan review.
The municipal building budget totals $117,430, an increase of $38,960 or 49.65%. Fraser said the increase is for the addition of electric vehicle chargers and the cost to supply them.
Other budgets within general government include solid waste at $211,950, an increase of $21,505 or 11.29%.
The public safety budget totals $544,360, an increase of $10,057 or 1.88%.
The fire department’s budget totals $186,705, an increase of $5,012 or 2.76%. The animal control budget totals $11,055, an increase of $3,205 or 40.83%. Fraser said the increase is due to the contract rate with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for animal control rising. The budget committee’s recommendation for the animal control budget totals $9,000, an increase of $1,150 or 14.65%.
Other areas of the public safety budget include emergency management at $3,040, an increase of $260 or 9.35%. and the Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service at $97,355, a decrease of $8,925 or 8.39%.
The total public works budget is $909,695, an increase of $29,625 or 3.36%. Within public works, the highway department budget totals $831,270, an increase of $13,690 or 1.67%.
The street lights totals $8,200 and the traffic lights totals $4,200, both budgets previously housed in the public safety budget. Fraser said the move is because Town Manager Andrew Dorr has been working on organizing the budget to make it more understandable, believing the two areas fit better in public works rather than public safety.
The community services and betterment budget totals $92,664, a decrease of $5,288.05 or 5.4%. Community organizations requested less this year, which equates for the decrease, Fraser said.
Voters will also consider Article 29, which would allow the board to transfer any unspent health insurance expenses from the current fiscal year to the payroll liability reserve. Fraser said the creation of this reserve is to ensure there are funds to cover buy-outs for employees who are leaving instead of using the fund balance.
Article 30 asks residents to consider restating the purpose of the parking lot reserve to support capital improvements associated with the municipal parking lot, including the adjacent green space, public restrooms, electric vehicle chargers, and harbor infrastructure. If approved, the reserve would be renamed the parking lot and waterfront improvement reserve.
Fraser said the name change and restatement is because the town wanted to give a previously underused reserve account a purpose. Along with this, residents will also consider Article 31, which would take the revenue from electric vehicle chargers and place it in the parking lot and waterfront improvement reserve.
Voters will also consider validating the RSU 48 education budget at the polls on June 9. (See related article in this edition.)
Bremen, Damariscotta, and Newcastle residents approved the $14,054,124.27 total education budget at an open town meeting on May 13. The budget is an increase of $891,984.27 or 6.78% from last year.
Damariscotta will be responsible for $5,158,149.22, an increase of $310,485.13 or 6.4% from last year.
There are no contested elections on the ballot, which includes two seats for the select board, one seat for the RSU 48 Board of Directors, and one seat for the Great Salt Bay Sanitary District Board of Trustees.
Incumbent Daniel Hunter is running for his second three-year term on the Damariscotta Select Board. Fraser is running for his third consecutive term.
Samuel L. Belknap III is running for his third three-year term to represent Damariscotta on the RSU 48 Board of Directors.
John D. Gallagher is running for his 11th three-year term on Great Salt Bay Sanitary District Board of Trustees.
The polls for voting on articles two through 10 of the annual town meeting warrant will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9 at the town office.
The other articles will be voted on during the open portion of the annual town meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10 at Skidompha Library in Porter Hall.
For more information, call 563-5168 or go to damariscotta.maine.gov.
