Waldoboro is holding its annual election and referendum town meeting on June 9, where voters will decide on a $4,047,666 municipal budget for fiscal year 2015-2016.
The budget, which was recommended by both the selectmen and budget committee, would be an increase of $179,334 or 4.64 percent over the current year.
The budget would be funded by $1,922,956 in property taxes, up $65,245 or 3.5 percent, and $2,124,710 of other revenue sources, including municipal revenue sharing, excise taxes, and registration fees, among others.
The budget would also use $179,450 from the town’s undesignated fund balance, up from $35,000 this year, according to budget documentation.
The increased amount of fund balance utilization is in compliance with a fund balance policy the selectmen adopted earlier this year, Town Manager Linda-Jean Briggs said previously.
The largest increase in the budget is an increase of $59,361 for capital reserve funds, for a total of $489,809.
The capital reserve request includes $243,000 for surface paving – an increase of $58,000 for an additional half-mile, $50,000 for highway construction, and about $210,000 for various public safety reserves, among other smaller requests.
According to Finance Director Eileen Dondlinger, the majority of departmental increases in the proposed budget are due to raises for personnel and related increases in benefit costs, as well as increases to health insurance costs and the town’s contribution to employee retirement.
The budget includes 3 percent raises for full-time non-union personnel, and an average of about 3 percent in raises for unionized personnel, Dondlinger said previously.
Ordinances
Two proposed ordinances are included on the town meeting warrant: a new floodplain management ordinance and a revision to the town’s shellfish conservation ordinance.
The revisions to the shellfish ordinance are few and include extending the age range for junior commercial licenses from 10 through 17 to 10 through 18 and exempting anyone under age 19 from conservation work.
Regarding a current provision that allows an applicant to exchange six volunteer hours of conservation work for a license fee reduction, an addendum would allow applicants with six “unused” conservation hours to put those hours toward a future license purchase.
A provision requiring applicants to complete six hours of conservation time in order to receive a license after the initial issuance period was struck from the ordinance.
A revision also eliminates a current requirement for four forms of identification as part of a license application, and adds a provision that “proof of identity and residency may be required to obtain a license.”
The floodplain management ordinance is a requirement for people in Waldoboro to participate in the national flood insurance program, according to Briggs.
“The ordinance is required by the federal government to be passed in communities where folks may be required to obtain national flood insurance,” Briggs said.
“The absence of the ordinance would make those folks ineligible for national flood insurance,” even though they may be required to have such insurance by a bank or other entity, she said.
The template for the ordinance was provided by the federal government, Briggs said.
Copies of the ordinances are available for inspection at the town office.
Election
There are two contested races in Waldoboro this year, one for two three-year terms on the board of selectmen, and one for three three-year terms on the budget committee. See articles this edition for more information on those races.
In uncontested elections, incumbents Lynda Letteney and Sandra O’Farrell are running for the Regional School Unit 40 Board of Directors and Jeffrey McNelly and Gordon Webster are running for the Waldoboro Utility District Board of Trustees, all for three-year terms.
Waldoboro’s annual election and referendum town meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Waldoboro Municipal Building.
