Newcastle voters elected Tor Glendinning and Rob Nelson in a three-way race for two seats on the board of selectmen, and approved 2020-2021 budgets, in the annual town meeting by referendum Tuesday, July 14.
Glendinning received 503 votes, Nelson 439, and Roger Wilcox 233.
Glendinning and Nelson will replace Ben Frey and Carolyn Hatch, who did not run for reelection. Frey and Hatch serve as chair and vice chair of the board.
All expenses total $5,915,188.25, an increase of $290,211.93 or 5.16% from fiscal year 2019-2020.
Education expenses total $3,251,374.16, an increase of $60,809.44 or 1.91%. The county tax is $417,337.09, an increase of $30,215.09 or 7.81%. The municipal budget is $2,246,476.12, an increase of $199,186.52 or 9.73%.
Voters approved the town’s secondary education budget and the Great Salt Bay Consolidated School District’s budget in separate referendum questions.
The secondary education budget is $1,477,738.50, an increase of $63,330.78 or 4.48%.
The GSB budget totals $5,707,935.01, down $392,032.07 or 6.43% from the previous year.
Newcastle’s share of the GSB budget is $1,773,635.66, essentially the same as last year.
Despite higher expenses, town officials expect the tax rate to stay the same – $17.90 per $1,000 of valuation – for the fifth straight year. Funds from surplus and growth in townwide valuation will offset the higher expenses.
