All 35 warrant articles passed with little discussion in Nobleboro at annual town meeting on Saturday, March 18, in less than 90 minutes.
Voters considered a $1,475,364 municipal budget, an increase of $271,845 or 22.58%.
The municipal budget does not include the Lincoln County tax commitment for the town, which is $555,218 this year.
Increases in the municipal budget were driven by road maintenance costs, town administration salaries, a new fire truck payment and the town’s first revaluation contract in more than 15 years.
Most articles passed with no discussion. The majority of comments concerned what budget lines included.
Some conversation began over article 10, regarding funds for Skidompha Public Library in Damariscotta. Dale Wright moved to raise $17,400, saying the figure was based on cardholding residents and those have decreased in recent years. He said the library’s request increased last year, and he did not find the figure necessary.
The warrant article asked if the town should raise $20,000 for the library, and the select board and budget committee recommended $17,400.
Mary Sheldon called for an amendment to raise the amount by $2,600 to $20,000. She said that all Nobleboro residents are automatically members of the library. Select board member Richard Powell said the increase was made along with inflation, and he felt it was reasonable.
Sheldon’s amended motion passed by three votes, funding the library at its original request.
Article 15, authorizing the select board to spend American Rescue Plan Act funds, was questioned because it did not give a dollar amount or say what the money would be used for. Spear said this information was not required to be on the warrant, but $90,851 of the funds remained.
Of those funds, $40,000 has been committed to broadband, and some of the remaining amount would be used to repair the door to the town salt and sand shed.
Article 16, authorizing the select board to negotiate and execute a contract with KRT Appraisals, of Haverhill, Mass., for a revaluation and a first payment of $35,000, passed with minimal discussion. The select board recommended this amount of the $140,000 total cost. Board Chair Dick Spear said he expected the remainder would be paid over the following two yearly budgets.
Nobleboro was last valuated in 2006, according to Powell. Its valuation is at 76% of the state’s figures this year and is likely to continue dropping. When valuations fall below the state’s, residents do not receive the full value of their homestead exemptions.
In response to an audience question, Spear said the select board would sign the contract later that day for work to begin this year, with anticipated completion in spring 2025. He said the work did not go out to bid, as the firm was recommended by the town’s assessor and offered a figure below the $200,000 figure typical for a revaluation.
The $4,570,368.21 education budget, an increase of $330,962.64 or 7.81%, passed with several questions about what each cost center item covered.
The education budget was recommended in early February following revisions removing over $92,000. The budget committee requested the school committee cut $100,000.
Drivers of the education budget increase included special education programs, student and staff support, a new full-time school nurse position, and renovation projects for the aging school building.
Nobleboro Central School has seen increased expenses and decreased revenue alongside inflation, according to AOS 93 Business Manager Peter Nielsen. Revenue dropped over $300,000 while costs rose.
More than a third of the new costs were in special education, which Nielsen said is rising faster than inflation.
Nielsen said the increase of the budget for taxpayers is also caused by reduced revenue, or state subsidies and extra funds unused from previous years.
State special education subsidies are based on the prior year’s enrollment, according to Nielsen, and student numbers were lower last year. While numbers have since risen, the increase is not reflected because of the subsidy program’s structure. Subsidy available is $403,668.32, a decrease of $101,200.13 or 20.04%.
The unassigned balance, money budgeted in previous years but not used and thus rolled forward, is also lower this year with $100,000 available, a decrease of $200,000 or 66.67%.
Article 17, to see what the town should expend for regular instruction, recommended $2,212,030.31 by the school and budget committees and the select board.
Stanley Waltz asked about secondary education, and said the budget overfunded the number of students at Lincoln Academy. He moved to amend the budget by cutting $100,000.
Town Clerk Emerald Friend said the information in the town report about secondary enrollment was incorrect, and the committee had actually budgeted only enough for one extra student in case another moved into the district.
The amendment was defeated and the original article passed with no additional discussion.
Article 29, to raise additional funds for the school above the state’s recommended minimum, was decided by written ballot because the article was amended. The original recommendation was $1,539,864.39; the amended figure, $1,449,864.39, reflected a $90,000 decrease on recommendation of the town’s auditor.
Powell said the figure changed because the balance forward had increased. The amended article passed.
Budget committee members were selected from the floor for three-year terms. Kellie Peters, William Bryant, and Buddy Brown were reelected.
Waltz questioned article 34, to use $320,000 in excise tax, $40,000 in surplus, and $36,000 in local road assistance funds to reduce the tax rate. Waltz said the use of excise tax was unfair for residents to subsidize.
Spear said all excise goes into road repair, and the leftover will take the form of surplus next year.
The final article passed, new members were sworn in, and the meeting drew to a close before noon.
At the polls the day before, Richard Powell was reelected against Jason Hopkins for a third three-year term on the select board, 159-51. Matt Benner unseated Dale Wright 138-74 for a two-year term as road commissioner, and Rhea Butler was reelected to the school committee for a three-year term unopposed with 181 votes.
