It will be back to the drawing board for Waldoboro’s Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee to figure out how to accommodate a $106,000 shortfall in anticipated state revenue sharing after the Sept. 10 special town meeting referendum.
Article 4, which included significant cuts to both the police and public works departments in attempt to address the revenue shortfall, failed to pass, 188 votes to 221.
The article included a police budget of $581,585 – $60,000 less than the police budget which failed to pass in June; a $35,000 reduction to the $704,198 public works budget which voters did approve in June; a $106,000 reduction of intergovernmental revenues; and an appropriation of $8290 from the un-designated fund balance to help offset the loss of revenue.
Only a portion of the $249,160 budget for the finance and customer service budget, which failed in June, was included under Article 4 at $176,576, which was a reduction of $2710 savings in benefits.
Unlike in June, the budget for the office of the town clerk was separated out in its own article from the finance and customer service budget and passed by a vote of 275 to 132 at $69,874, the same amount as voted on in June.
Voters authorized the selectmen to expend up to 6/12 of last year’s approved budgets for the failed budgets, which will provide for operations through Dec. 31, 299 votes to 106.
The two remaining articles on the warrant passed handily.
Article 5 authorized the selectmen to release the Lincoln County Fish and Game Association from conditions placed on an April 17, 1948 deed, which conveyed the property at 196 Cross Street from the town to the association.
The condition prohibits “major alterations” to the building on the premises and stipulates the property should be returned to the town if needed for school purposes, according to the warrant.
Town Manager John Spear said the association needs unencumbered title in order to receive a grant to renovate the building.
Voters approved Article 5, 325 to 79.
Under Article 6, which passed 365 to 45, the town will designate a number of properties around Waldoboro, including the Waldoboro Recreation Complex, the Waldoboro Public Library, Pine Street Landing, among others as “drug-free safe zones.”
Anyone convicted of drug offenses within those zones would face harsher penalties, according to Spear.
The Board of Selectmen is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. to determine how to proceed regarding the failed article, Spear said.
Options for either a referendum-style and open-style special town meeting remain on the table, according to a memo from Spear.
A joint meeting between the selectmen and the Budget Committee is planned for Thursday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m., Spear said.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the Public Works Budget passed at town meeting in June was $669,198. The Lincoln County News regrets the error.