Low Voter Turnout In Wiscasset, Several Budget Articles Rejected

There is no doubt Wiscasset voters will be going back to the polls again very soon.

Less than 14 percent of Wiscasset voters cast their ballots June 11, rejecting proposed budgets for assessing/human resources, planning, code enforcement budget, the transfer station budget, contingency, the capital reserve account, the capital reserve account for capital improvement, and the pay-as-you-throw amendment to the Solid Waste Ordinance.

In a three-way race for the board of selectmen, incumbent Pam Dunning was reelected and former Wiscasset Fire Chief Tim Merry was elected to the board for three-year term, both beating out former selectman David Nichols.

Edward Kavanagh and Dean Shea were elected to the Wiscasset Water District Trustees. Rowena Flynn was elected to the Sheepscot Valley RSU 12 Board of Directors. There were several write-votes for the six open seats on the budget committee.

Among declared candidates for the three three-year terms, William Barnes received 23 write-in votes; Cliff Hendricks received 13 votes, and there is a three-way tie for the third seat between John Merry, Richard Hanson, and Robert Blagden.

The three leading write-in vote getters for the three open seats for the two year terms on the budget committee are; John Merry, Kent Reed, and Neil Page.

Town clerk Christine Wolfe, said, the write-in candidates will be contacted and asked if they want to accept the positions.

Department BudgetsThe town planning budget received 157 votes in favor, 231 opposed; code enforcement budget received 158 in favor, 236 opposed; the contingency of $40,000 received 158 in favor, 236 opposed; assessing/human resources received 127 in favor, 266 opposed; transfer station budget received 181 in favor, 206 opposed.

The question to use $312,884 from the investment account interest for capital improvements failed with a 177 in favor, 210 opposed. The question of using the capital reserve account for the capital improvements, recommended by the selectmen, failed by nine votes, 189 in favor and 198 opposed.

The amendment to the Solid Waste Ordinance, which would have adopted the pay-as- you-throw system in Wiscasset, was strongly rejected with 146 people voting in favor and 221 voting against it.

Wiscasset’s 2013-2014 budget will become affective July 1. However, the voters did approve Question 1 on the ballot allowing the selectmen to spend one quarter of the previous year’s budget to resolve any legal obligations should any of the department budgets be rejected.

The voters approved the $325,427 police department budget; the $103,346 fire department budget; the $296,455 Emergency Medical Services budget and the $591,444 of Highway Department budget.

The Wastewater Treatment Plant budget of $402,296 appropriated only, with the total amount coming from user fees. The Parks and Recreation Department budget of $730,837 passed with estimated revenues of $490,000 to offset the total budget.

OrdinancesThe ordinance that will allow lobster buoys to be placed in the mooring field of Wiscasset Harbor permanent was accepted by the voters, as was the Shellfish Conservation Ordinance amendment to reduce the conservation hours for shellfish harvesters from 20 hours to 12 hours annually.

The article to allow Castle Tucker to be removed from the Resource Protection zone to the Shoreland Residential zone was also approved by the voters.

Voter turnoutAccording to Wiscasset Town Clerk Christine Wolfe, there are 2880 registered voters in Wiscasset. In this week’s election there were a total of 403 votes cast, 207 of those votes were absentee ballots. There were 196 voters that cast their votes at the polls.