Wiscasset voted to keep its school resource officer for the 2015-2016 school year by a margin of two votes at the referendum annual town meeting Tuesday, June 9. The position was approved 274-272 opposed.
In a close contest for a seat on the Board of Selectmen between William David Cherry and Ervin Deck, Cherry emerged victorious by 15 votes. Cherry was voted on to the board with 247 votes, Deck received 232.
Judy Flanagan won the remaining seat by an overwhelming margin with 407 votes.
With the exception of a new police cruiser, voters approved all other appropriations on the warrant, green lighting a municipal budget of approximately $5.7 million, $4,323,071 to be raised from taxes, and a school department budget of approximately $8,406,578, with a local cost of approximately $5,642,610.59, for 2015-2016.
Public support for the Wiscasset Police Department and Wiscasset Emergency Medical Services was tested at the annual town meeting with a non-binding opinion poll asking voters whether those services should continue.
The question was posed to answer a long-standing debate in Wiscasset over what services should be maintained and what services should be reduced to release the burden on taxpayers. Both those services were given a tax-payer stamp of approval.
In a question that asked, “shall the town vote to discontinue the Wiscasset Police Department and utilize the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office,” 209 voters said yes, 342 said no.
In a question that asked, “shall the town vote to discontinue the Wiscasset Emergency Medical Services Department and utilize a private company,” 81 voters said yes, 464 said no.
The police department’s and Wiscasset EMS’s budget for 2015-2016 were overwhelming approved. The police department’s budget passed 411-185 opposed. Wiscasset EMS’s budget passed 486-53 opposed.
A new police cruiser, however, was the only appropriation from the capital reserve account voters rejected. Voters turned down the $39,000 appropriation 374-167 in favor.
A complete report will be available in the upcoming edition of Lincoln County News
