Bob Heinlein emerges from the voting booth at Jefferson’s annual town meeting by referendum in the Jefferson Village School gymnasium on Tuesday, April 18. Deputy Town Clerk Brenda Williams said voter turnout was higher than expected Tuesday morning. (Elizabeth Walztoni photo)
Jefferson voters approved all warrant articles but one at annual town meeting by referendum on Tuesday, April 18, funding a $1.35 million budget to meet rising ambulance service and town office costs.
One hundred and eighteen voters approved the $1,359,110.92 budget, an increase of $212,002.92 or 18.48%, according to Town Administrator Lynne Barnikow.
One article voted down would have provided $20,595 for an electronic sign outside the town office. It would have displayed municipal information similar to the electronic sign outside the Jefferson Village School.
The originally proposed budget including the sign totaled $1,379,705.92, an increase of $232,597.92 or 20.27%.
Ambulance service costs from both of the town’s providers, Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service and Waldoboro Emergency services, has risen sharply over recent months due to changes in billing formulas.
The warrant included $216,800 as a combined estimate for both services, an increase of $45,451 or 26.5%.
Unspent funds will be carried over for future ambulance costs.
Town office salaries also jumped this year to $254,817, an increase of $39,117 or 18.1%. This includes an estimated figure to add a third full-time position to the office and keep two part-time positions.
Barnikow said in previous select board meetings that the office is challenged to meet resident needs at its current level of staffing.
Town office expenses rose to $60,000, up $14,000 or 30.43%. Barnikow said at previous select board meetings this increase is a result of inflation and heating costs.
The winter maintenance budget for roads and highways is $85,000, an increase of $22,000 due largely to road salt costs. Jefferson’s snowplow contract budget has increased to $282,339, up $8,423 or 3.07%.
Voters also approved $65,000 for Jefferson Fire and Rescue’s fire truck reserve fund, a regular annual request.
Most other budget lines are unchanged from or very close to last year’s figures.
Voters also approved a six-month moratorium ordinance on solar energy projects in the town.
Planning board Chair Bill Farren, who proposed the moratorium, said it would give the board time to hear public opinion and develop a permanent ordinance for future proposals.
Jill Griffin heads to cast her ballot in Jefferson’s annual town meeting by referendum at the Jefferson Village School gymnasium on Tuesday, April 18. (Elizabeth Walztoni photo)
Jefferson currently has no solar ordinance. Once developed, a permanent ordinance will come before voters.
In municipal elections, Robert E. “Jigger” Clark Jr. was reelected with 104 votes in an uncontested race to his seat on the select board for a three-year term.
Chase Macioch and Danielle Bernier were elected to three-year terms on the school committee. Macioch ran unopposed for the seat currently held by Allison Brooks, who did not seek reelection. Bernier sought reelection unopposed.
Jeffrey Howe and Donna Williams were both elected to three-year terms on the budget committee with 86 and 102 votes, respectively.
Howe and Williams were the only two candidates to return nomination papers for budget committee seats. One additional three-year term and one one-year term were open to write-in candidates.
Barnikow said seven write-in candidates for the three-year term each received one vote, and five write-ins for the one-year term also received one vote each.
She said the town will seek legal advice to determine the results of these two races.
