Moderator Melissa Holmes addresses a packed Edgecomb town hall during a special town meeting about the towns education budget Saturday, May 17. Seating was at such a premium, chairs were set up on the stage behind Holmes. (Sherwood Olin photo)
With the special town meeting for the education budget threatening to cut into the polling hours for Edgecomb’s annual town meeting by referendum on Saturday, May 17, voters productively scrambled to come to an agreement on a $4,158,653 budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
The total represents an increase of $398,392 or 10.59% from last year.
While approving the total the Edgecomb School Committee could spend, voters reduced the amount the town will raise and appropriate in additional local funds by $200,000, amending the article down to $1,209,847.25.
More than 200 residents packed into the Edgecomb town hall for the special town meeting, which began at 10 a.m. The moderator announced the meeting had a “hard out” at 12:15 p.m. in order to allow time to set the town hall up for referendum polling, which was supposed to begin at 1 p.m.
For a quite a while, it looked as though the meeting would have to be continued in some fashion, as procedural issues and discussion slowed the pace. Debate on the first item of business, which authorized the school to expend up to the $2,234,647 for regular instruction, took more than an hour.
With the article introduced, resident Stuart Smith, one of the candidates for a seat on the Edgecomb Select Board, immediately motioned to amend the article, reducing it by $200,000. Smith said he was basing his amendment on the expected revenue the town receives from tuition. It was budgeted at $450,000 for 2025-2026, but the figure was actually $696,064 in the current budget, he said.
Edgecomb School Committee Chair Heather Sinclair said the committee budgets 80% of anticipated tuition revenues just to be cautious. When the revenue exceeds estimates, it offsets the tax impact the following year.
“The rationale behind this is the very simple fact that more than students or their families to change their mind at any point in time leading up to when we fully receive that tuition, it could potentially create a situation where we were behind what we needed in terms of budget,” Sinclair said.
Smith’s motion to amend passed 88-85. The amended article failed. Sinclair then made a motion to reconsider the original article, which passed.
During debate, John Allen III, who later in the day was elected to serve on the school committee, rose several times to make the point that amending what the school committee was authorized to spend was not the same as reducing what the committee was authorized to raise. Agreeing revenue was a problem for the town and needed to be addressed, Allen spoke against Smith’s amendment, only because he thought it was misplaced.
“This is about the authorization to extend the dollar, about raising the dollar,” Allen said. “So the direct impact here is actually probably more closely aligned to some of the later articles about allocating and raising the funds. A reduction here does not directly change that.”
With the clock ticking, residents ultimately voted to combine the expenses proposed in articles 3-12 and passed them as written. Voters later approved combining articles 17-19, authorizing the school committee to expend grants, other sums received, and additional state subsidies, if any, and transfer up to 5% between cost centers as needed%, which was amended to 15%,.
Taking up the spending articles, voters authorized the town to appropriate $2,237,697.55 and raise $1,773,575 as the municipality’s contribution to fund public education for K-12.
Taking up article 15, authorizing the raising and appropriation of additional local funds, voters amended the article to $1,209,847.25 and passed it by a written ballot, 156-54.
With the votes, taxpayers approved a $2,234,647 regular education budget, an increase of $53,490 or 2.45%; a $847,391 special education budget, an increase of $116,371 or 15.92%; a $341,776 facilities maintenance budget, an increase of $64,852 or 23.42%; and a $227,727 school administration budget, an increase of $18,698 or 8.95%.
The transportation and buses budget is $190,667, an increase of $90,350 or 90.06%. The system administration budget totals $155,817, an increase of $32,263 or 26.11%.
Other increases include the student and staff support budget of $122,177, up $11,717 or 10.61%; the all other expenditures budget, which totals $35,000, an increase of $10,000 or 40%; and the other instruction budget, which totals $3,451, an increase of $651 or 23.25%.
The debt service budget is expected to stay the same, at $0.
In comments during the meeting, Sinclair said the entire education budget as proposed would add about $84,000, or a 2.7% increase, to the town’s total budget.
After voting on the education budget, residents headed to the polls to consider the town’s budget and other questions on the ballot.
The majority of voters approved the municipal budget as presented, which is $1,874,743, an increase of $1,711 or 0.09% over last year.
The highways and bridges budget totals $968,265, an increase of $9,750 or 1.02%; the budget for public safety is $378,988, up $21,413 or 5.99%; and the budget for general government is $298,507, a decrease of $40,959 or 12.07%,
The health and sanitation budget is $190,230, an increase of $14,197 or 8.06%, and the special assessments budget totals $38,753, a decrease of $2,690 or 6.49%.
The amount Edgecomb was assessed for county tax for the 2026 fiscal year is $413,835, an increase of $33,841 or 8.91%.
For municipal budget items, surplus and alternative funding sources – including tax increment financing district funds and subsidies – total $376,538.
Aside from finances, voters approved reinstating the education budget validation referendum process for three years, with a vote of 181-102.
The town last had an education budget validation referendum process in 2010, according to town officials.
Following the development of the education budget each year, voters will gather for a regional meeting to approve the total amount. That figure will then appear on a referendum ballot in the town’s annual meeting for final validation by voters.
The ballot also included a race between two candidates for the Edgecomb Select Board.
Resident Forrest Carver was elected with 213 votes to serve a three-year term on the select board. Smith received 90 votes.
The remaining races on the ballot were uncontested.
Allen secured a three-year term on the Edgecomb School Committee with 262 votes.
Edgecomb Planning Board incumbent Philip Haas received 243 votes to serve another three-year term on the board. Write-in candidate Joanna Breen was elected by 28 voters to serve the other three-year term available on the planning board.
For the post of road commissioner, incumbent Scott R. Griffin was chosen to serve another one-year term by 261 voters.
Tax collector Rebecca Brewer was reelected to serve a one-year term by 204 voters.
Claudia Coffin was reelected to serve one-year terms as treasurer and town clerk with 273 and 271 votes, respectively.
