With the overall proposed budget down and no other significant changes from past years, “there shouldn’t be a lot of discussion” at this year’s annual Town Meeting in Nobleboro, March 19, said Dick Spear, Chairman of the Nobleboro Board of Selectmen.
The total budget as proposed by the selectmen and budget committee – excepting county taxes – is down $18,343 (.6 percent) to $3,143,034.
The proposed municipal budget is up $5899 (.9 percent) to $68,401 due to slight increases in the operating costs for several departments.
The proposed school budget is down $24,242 (one percent) to $2,456,633.
The change in the education budget this year comes in spite of the fact the town made the final payment on the school building last year – a savings of $142,435 in this year’s budget.
That savings, in addition to savings associated with a decrease in overall enrollment and a decrease to the principal’s salary and benefits, is largely offset by a $205,619 increase to the facilities maintenance budget this year.
$179,800 of that is budgeted to replace the roof on the building, which has been leaking and in need of repair for several years, said Josh Hatch, Chairman of the NCS board, at a meeting of the Budget Committee earlier this year.
Engineering estimates for the project put the total cost at about $368,000, said AOS 93 Superintendent Bob Bouchard. The actual cost of the project is expected to be lower.
The budget calls for $175,000 to be appropriated from taxes this year to pay for the project, and the remainder of the cost – about $200,000 – to be borrowed. The interest on the loan will be paid with a $4800 payment in this year’s budget.
The loan will be paid back in two payments of about $100,000 each in 2012 and 2013.
Overall, the town is on track to maintain a mil rate of 10.1 – in keeping with Spear’s goal of a static mil rate for five years – Spear said. If the mil rate remains at 10.1, this will be year three of Spear’s five-year goal.
The only unusual item in this year’s warrant, Spear said, is an item to fund the replacement of the sand and salt shed, which collapsed under the weight of snow and ice earlier this year.
The building was insured, so insurance will pay for the replacement cost of the building. However, the town is looking into some improvements to the building, which will put the total cost of replacement slightly higher than what the town will receive from insurance, Spear said.
“In the next week or two we’ll be looking at some other sheds to see what we want to do differently,” Spear said.
Currently, the Town Meeting warrant calls to raise $25,000 and authorize the selectmen to borrow up to $150,000 to pay for the building. That item was written before the selectmen were sure about how much insurance was going to cover, so Spear said they will likely lower the amount selectmen are authorized to borrow at Town Meeting.
Other than that, “we’re basically holding right straight through,” Spear said.
