AOS 93 Business Manager Peter Nielsen answers a question during the Bristol annual town meeting on Tuesday, March 18 at Bristol Consolidated School. Residents questioned how a new generator for the school was going to be paid for. (Johnathan Riley photo)
Bristol voters passed every article on their warrant at the annual town meeting on Tuesday, March 18 in the Bristol Consolidated School gymnasium.
Voters dispatched the 50 articles, which included the $3,759,024.80 municipal budget, a decrease of $72,981.38 or 1.94% from the previous year. The amount of the municipal budget funded by taxation will rise to $1,879,333.23, an increase of $240,503 or 14.67%.
The biggest discussion of the night was the split between the budget committee and the school committee’s recommendations about the way to pay for a new generator for BCS.
At the Bristol School Committee’s Feb. 5 meeting, members voted to move funds from regular education, special education, and school administration into facilities, earmarking a total of $400,000 for the future purchase and installation of a generator for the school.
During Bristol’s annual town meeting in 2024, voters granted permission for the school committee to move up to 15% of the total budget between cost centers.
Bristol Budget Committee members, who voted against recommending a portion of the 2025-2026 education budget in a symbolic gesture, said they didn’t support how the school committee used that authority to cover the cost of the generator. Ultimately, the committee did not purchase the generator.
During the annual town meeting March 18, Bristol School Committee Chair Darin Carlucci made a motion to amend article 17, the additional local funds portion of the education budget, to reduce the figure by $400,000, the amount the school committee had moved for the purchase and installation of the generator.
Carlucci’s amendment reduced to budget article to $3,356,872.49, which voters subsequently approved by written ballot, 79-28.
Bristol Budget Committee member Alex Beaudet said he’s happy the school committee decided against the use of the $400,000 to purchase the generator, but big capital expenses in a school construction project should have the input of voters.
“It’s just frustrating that we’ve been saying for months this is the transparent thing to do,” Beaudet said. “It’s what should’ve been done from the beginning I’m happy it’s happening now, but it shouldn’t take bad legal advice to do the right thing and let voters vote on large capital expenditures.”
With the amended amount, $7,029,890.81 of the education budget will be funded by taxes, an increase of $151,053.82 or 2.2%.
The closest vote of the night came in article 18, where voters considered whether to give the school committee the ability to continue to move up to 15% of funds within the budget. Town administrators had to do a hand count of the votes, which resulted the article passing 72-53.
Elsewhere in the warrant, voters passed ordinance amendments with little discussion.
Approved changes to the land use, shore land zoning, and harbor ordinances included modernizing language, new definitions, and clarifying responsibilities.
The change to the harbor ordinance largely surrounds the inclusion of new definitions, the prohibition of houseboats, and outlining the responsibilities for mooring owners in town waters.
The changes to the land use ordinance include updating language to reflect the town’s compliance with L.D. 2003, legislation concerning affordable housing, and the formal permission for an electronic sign to be at Ellingwood Information Center in Bristol Mills.
During the municipal elections held on Monday, March 17, 310 total ballots were cast, according to Bristol Town Clerk Jess Bourne.
In a three-way contest for two seats on the Bristol School Committee, incumbent June Donenfeld was returned to office for a three-year term with 181 votes. Katherine Thompson received 264 votes to win election to a three-year term. Chelsea Poland received 117 votes.
Elsewhere on the ballot, Bristol Select Board member Kristine Poland was reelected unopposed for another three-year term, receiving 245 votes.
Bristol Planning Board members Jessica Westhaver and Andrew Poland were reelected to three-year terms, receiving 248 and 224 votes, respectively.
Clyde Pendleton was reelected to a three-year term on the Bristol Parks Commission with 271 votes.
