Three incumbent Waldoboro Budget Committee members, one former member, and one newcomer are competing for three three-year terms on the committee.
The election will be held as part of Waldoboro’s annual referendum town meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, June 9 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Waldoboro Municipal Building.
For more information on candidates for other offices and the proposed annual budget, see stories this issue.
William Blodgett, a 20-year veteran of the budget committee, said he plans to evaluate proposed budgets in light of whether they provide fair and equitable services that the townspeople seem to want.
“They [the public] demonstrated that they support these different programs; they have supported and voted for it over the years,” Blodgett said.
John Higgins, who is currently in his first term on the committee, said he’s “just trying to keep a handle on what’s going on.”
“I’m trying to get control, to have people realize what things are costing, and it keeps going up. They’ve got to be more aware of how we’re spending our money,” Higgins said.
Costs are going up but service is not improving, he said.
“We’re getting to the point that [taxes are] getting high and we have more and more people unable to pay their taxes,” Higgins said. “You can’t keep raising your taxes every year.”
Craig Lewis is also in his first term, and says the budget needs to be brought down because people on fixed incomes cannot absorb further increases.
Lewis wants to see the town be more fiscally responsible, use its undesignated funds for emergencies only, and run more smoothly than it has, he said.
Lewis would also like to see a change in the budget process, with the budget committee and board of selectmen discussing proposals before either group votes or the budget committee meeting on its own, prior to the select board’s vote.
Currently the selectmen do discuss items and vote on them before the budget committee officially takes them up, though in practice budget committee members have been allowed to ask questions and give input during the select board’s deliberations.
Mary Sidelinger, who would be a newcomer to the budget committee, describes herself as a fiscal conservative who wants the public to be heard, the children to get the programs they need, and the town’s elderly to be taken care of, but also recognizes “there comes a time when we have to say no.”
“I’ve lived here for about 40 years, and I just want to give back to the community. I want to represent people I deal with every day, people on fixed incomes, people who don’t necessarily have it easy,” Sidelinger said.
Everyone needs to be heard and deserves to have their questions answered in a civil manner, she said.
“Lately it seems like there’s a perception out there that the town is spending money wildly and unnecessarily,” Sidelinger said. “I think every issue needs to be looked at individually and we need to make sure that we’re looking to the future when we decide.”
Ellen Winchenbach is a former budget committee member, having served in 2003 and 2004 and again from 2011 to 2014.
“I’m running because I enjoy public service and it is a way to keep me informed with the budgetary process,” Winchenbach said. “I’m a very detailed person and monetarily I’m quite conservative.”
Winchenbach would like to see the town’s mil rate kept down.
“Many of us that are close to retirement can’t afford our taxes anymore,” she said.
