A one million dollar budget awaits Whitefield voter approval March 21 at the annual town meeting.
The spending plan includes stipends for firefighters and rescue workers and a first time 30-year loan payment for a $750,000 new town office center. Half of the project’s cost would come from surplus and half from property taxes, translatable to $50 on a house valued at $100,000.
In early February, the budget committee approved the 10.9 percent increase over the present year’s budget. Of the four members, two voted against the $48,775 capital expenditure article and one opposed the fire department request for $15,000 in stipends.
Chairman Bill Brooke said he didn’t support the town center article because “I’m concerned about the recession,” even with stimulus money on the horizon. He said without the building payment, the budget would be 5.9 percent.
An unknown is the school budget, which will be part of the eight-town Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit’s expenditures plan. Board of selectmen chairman Steve McCormick said, “If the school budget comes in lower and town valuation is up, the total budget could be very different.”
Expressing fears about job losses and the poor economy generally, budget panel member Brian Huntley also opposed the building project and went a step further by speaking against the stipend for firefighters and EMS personnel.
The three fire associations made presentations Feb. 3 to defend their request for $92,750, up from $79,750 this year. Each department seeks $16,000 for basic operations. The committee learned that Coopers Mills Volunteer Fire Dept. netted $13,000 on its fundraising auction and has $30,000 in a building and apparatus reserve account. At the same time, it is facing major repair on its engine, and liability insurance for such events as the annual auction is up from $1900 to $3700, said chief Scott Higgins.
Of the stipend request, Huntley said he questioned “the prudence of starting a new program that will go forward. I don’t think we can afford to do it in 2009.” Frank Ober characterized the fire department total budget as “quite a piece of change” and wondered how long the town can support three separate buildings. Brooke commented, “We’re going to have to look at this in detail some time.”
Selectman McCormick defended the request. He said that compared to some area towns, Whitefield is “getting a good deal, even running three stations.” The stipend amount “is nothing for what they put in for time,” he added.
Each firefighter and EMT would be capped at $500. Barbara Welch said she was “a little worried about the administration of it. Something has to be in place so everybody’s accountable.”
Those responding to an incident could be required to sign in at the station afterward as proof they turned out, Ober suggested.
Other expenses show snow and ice removal up $4800 and $6000 more for general government mostly because of audit costs. Town employees’ health insurance climbed six percent from $15,438 to $16,349.
The committee recommended slashing $2500 for townhouse repairs, leaving in $500 for heating fuel. McCormick said the maintenance account has approximately $7600, a sufficient amount.
Paving is up to $90,000 from $60,000 in the current year. McCormick explained that $30,000 chopped at last June’s special town meeting during the school crisis was restored.
Another capital expenditure item is $3775 for Coopers Mills dam repair. McCormick said the money would be used to patch the town-owned structure this summer to retain water that leaks through cracks.
Selectman Kurt Miller said, “If we don’t spend money on repairs, we’ll move over to the legal line and spend it there,” a reference to state and federal regulators’ pressure to make the dam and fish ladder operational for migrating Atlantic salmon, an endangered species.
