Damariscotta Voters Approve All But One Article at Annual Meeting

Damariscotta residents voted to pass all but one article at the annual town meeting at Great Salt Bay Community School the morning of Saturday, June 15.

Around 30 people attended the two-hour meeting and voted on articles 11-50, which mostly dealt with the $3,986,849.66 municipal budget, a $229,359.38 or 6.1% increase over last year.

The first 10 articles concerned granting funding to organizations such as Skidompha Public Library and the Damariscotta Historical Society as well as a vote on changing the Great Salt Bay Consolidated School District into a regional school unit. All 10 passed at the polls on June 11.

The only article that didn’t pass at the June 15 was article 34, which asked to appropriate $726,800 from estimated revenues apply to the fiscal year 2024 tax commitment.

There were two mistakes made in the writing of the article, Town Manager Andrew Dorr said. The first was a discrepancy between the budget committee and select board’s recommendation of $749,975 to be appropriated and the $726,800 figure in the article. However, the article’s language did not allow for a new amount to be proposed, so those present had to vote on $726,800.

Residents initially voted to approve the article, however, several attendees later pointed out the article was written for the fiscal year 2024 tax commitment, rather than fiscal year 2025. Residents voted to reconsider the article, after which they voted it down.

Damariscotta Select Board Chair Daryl Fraser said the town would fix the issues with the article and host a special town meeting on a remedied article at a date to be determined.

Residents also approved the creation of a reserve fund for bicycle infrastructure, which Dorr said will allow the town to propose adding funds to it starting next year. The reserve will allow the town to start building funds for projects outlined in the Bicycle Safety and Accessibility Resolution, which was approved by the select board Oct. 18, 2023. The resolution includes plans to install paved shoulders on some local roads and bike racks around town to make cycling easier and safer.

The police budget increased to $823,140, a $25,578 or 3.21% increase from last year, and was approved by voters. Damariscotta Police Chief Jason Warlick said an updated police union contract contributed to the increase.

“The new union contract … does yearly pay steps,” Warlick said. “So we’re not being hit with an all-the-sudden $25,000 or $30,000 increase.

The budget approved by voters for public safety was $435,665, an $8,864.01 or 2.08% increase from last year. The public safety budget includes animal control, street lights, the town’s $99,027.01 portion of the Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service, as well as the $161,235 fire department budget.

Fifteen items were approved for reserve fund contributions, totaling $630,000, an $115,000 or 22.33% increase from last year.

More information can be found by calling 563-5168 or by going to damariscottame.com.