South Bristol residents will vote on education and municipal budget increases, including a 133.73% increase in funding for Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service, at its annual town meeting.
The polls will be open for the election of officers from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, March 7 at the town office. The open town meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8 at the South Bristol School.
Voters will consider an 11.99% increase in the municipal budget and a 7.93% increase in the education budget.
Municipal budget
The municipal budget totals $985,519, an increase of $105,504 or 11.99% from the prior year.
The warrant asks the town to reduce the tax commitment by appropriating $240,000 from the Stratton Earning and Dividends Account, which was created in 2004 when the town inherited one-third of the estate of Ann Wilder Stratton, a donation worth roughly $9 million at the time.
The requested donation from the town of South Bristol to CLC Ambulance rose from $37,046 to $86,586, a $49,540 or 133.73% increase. This spike is due to a drop in CLC Ambulance revenues over several years and a need for the towns that use the service to fund operations and capital expenses as well as competitive wages for emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
Voters will be asked to appropriate $86,586 out of the town’s Stratton Fund for the ambulance service.
The town will also be paying $140,000 for road paving costs out of the Stratton Fund.
Other budget categories are as follows: administration totals $158,275, down $7,070 or 4.28%; health and sanitation totals $197,312, up $36,804 or 22.93%; fire department totals $68,500, up $1,000 or 1.48%; the remainder of the protection category totals $73,700, up $15,350 or 26.31%; highways totals $250,000, up $15,539 or 6.63%; donations total $24,746, up $341 or 1.4%; unclassified accounts total $39,400, up $1,500 or 3.81%; and CLC Adult Education totals $5,000, the same as last year.
Education budget
The education budget totals $2,278,016.05, a $167,435.48 or 7.93% increase from last year.
However, the local contribution South Bristol will be asked to pay towards the school budget is $2,031,594.23, an increase of $49,290.44 or 2.48%.
The difference between the increase in the budget and the increase in the local contribution is due to state subsidies and leftover fund-balance from the prior fiscal year.
Budget categories are as follows: regular instruction is $1,087,127, up $96,796 or 9.77%; special education instruction totals $354,268.62, up $10,939.82 or 3.19%; career and technical education is $200, up from $0 last year; other instruction is $100, flat; student and staff support is $212,116.54, up $12,745.74 or 6.39%; system administration is $57,556.48, up $7,530.75 or 15.05%; school administration totals $188,057.39, down $18,617.93 or 9.9%; transportation and buses totals $111,122.38, up $33,077.62 or 29.77%; facilities and maintenance totals $202,057.15, up $25,950.34 or 12.84%; and all other expenditures is $25,000, down 986.70 or 3.8%.
Elections
Selectman Christopher Plummer will not be running for another term after 15 years on the board. Bruce Farrin Jr., a professional boat builder and former school committee member, is running in an uncontested race for the selectman seat.
School Bristol School committee member Susan Bartlett Rice will not be running for reelection. While no nomination papers for the position were filed by the deadline, School Committee Chair Sara Mitchell said via email that Walpole resident and SBS parent Cassandra McPhee is running as a write-in candidate.
Town Treasurer and Tax Collector Robert Lincoln is seeking reelection.
Town Clerk Brenda Bartlett is seeking reelection.
