Westport Islanders will take up the balance of a 70 article warrant when they re-convene their annual town meeting on Saturday, June 22.
Voters already decided articles 1-3 on Tuesday, June 11, electing Kim Lynch unopposed to a three-year term on the select board and Barbara Cray by write-in to a three year on the RSU 12 Board of Directors and approving the $26.4 million RSU 12 budget.
Should voters approve everything on the warrant as presented, the 2024-2025 municipal budget totals $1,322,686.14, an increase of $179,363.73 or 15.6%.
Combined with Westport Island’s $975,518.96 educational assessment, up $26,285.60 or 2.7%, and $395,911 county assessment, up $36,239, or 10%, Westport Island’s total budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year is $2,694,116.10, an increase of $213,382.16 or 8.6%.
According to retiring select board member Jeff Tarbox, due to an increased offsetting revenues and transfers, the amount to be raised from property taxes will be less but that figure is currently unknown.
“We don’t know yet exactly where we’ll end up with the property tax bill this year, the assessing for this year is still underway, but a small increase seems likely,” Tarbox said in an e-mail.
Among the warrant articles, voters will be asked to fund several reserve accounts in a bid to lessen budget impacts in future years.
Article 21 is asking the voters to raise and appropriate $50,000 for the revaluation capital reserve account in anticipation of a town-wide revaluation. The line item is an increase of $40,000 or 400% from 2023-2024.
Approval of article 42 would raise to raise and appropriate $20,000 for a matching funds reserve, an increase of $10,000 or 200%.
The town is seeking major grant funding for the Squam Creek and Heal Cove causeway replacements plus other major infrastructure projects and expects that, when the town is successful, the necessary matching funds will be available.
Among other budget articles, the Westport Island Volunteer Fire Department and the select board recommend raising and appropriating a total of $147,000 for protection services an increase of $35,053 or 31.3%.
Over three separate warrant articles the fire department is asking for $99,000 to cover operating expenses, training and stipends, an increase of $30,000, or 43.5%, $13,000 for fire department insurance, an increase of $5,503 or 73.4%, and $35,000 for the fire department’s capital reserve account, a figure level funded from the current year.
Westport Island Road Commissioner James Cromwell and the select board are recommending the town approve expending up to $650,000 for Phase 3 of the town’s long term paving program. Should voters agree, article 37 would fund the program by raising and appropriating $125,000, to be combined with $200,000 appropriated from the excise tax collected in 2023-2024, for a total appropriation of $325,000, a $30,000 or 10.1% increase from the current fiscal year.
That figure would be combined with up to $325,000 to be borrowed from a line of credit to fund the program.
According to the warrant article, the third phase includes culvert replacement, ditch work, and paving of Lower West Shore Road from Main Road to Red Gate Lane and Main Road starting at Lower West Shore Road to the end of hot top at Harriman’s Point Road.
The amount sought for the maintenance of town’s road and bridges is $130,000, a decrease of $50,000 or 27.7%
Voters will be asked to raise and appropriate $166,239 for snow removal services, an increase of $7,614 or 5.8%, and approve the transfer of $37,000 from the state highway fund for the procurement of sand and salt, down $8,000 or 17.7% from 2023-2024.
Voters will decide on $121,870 for the town’s share of the Wiscasset Transfer Station operating cost, an increase of $13,211 or 12.1%, and $27,441 for Wiscasset Ambulance Service, an increase of $3,040 or 12.4%.
Voters will be asked to raise and appropriate $30,000 for legal funds, a figure down $30,000 or 50% from 2023-2024.
Among other increases, voters will be asked to raise and appropriate $30,000 to fund the work of a Maine certified assessor. The line item is an increase of $20,000 or 200%.
First time warrant articles would raise and appropriate funds to renovate the town hall in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act including $10,000 to replace the current town hall ramp and $20,000 to install an ADA-compliant bathroom. Article eight proposes transferring $15,000 from the town hall capital reserve account to repair and paint the front of the town hall.
Articles 47-61 in the warrant are asking the voters to adopt two new ordinances and several amendments to the town’s current ordinances. The new ordinances include Westport Island Increased Housing Ordinance,
Article 47 asks the voters to adopt Westport Island increased housing ordinance. Adoption would bring the town into compliance with LD 2003, the state law adopted in 2023 intended to encourage construction of more affordable housing in Maine. The law mandates changes in local zoning ordinances to allow for more housing density under certain circumstances.
The adoption of the article is recommended by the select and planning boards.
Article 48 proposes a nuisance ordinanced. The town’s newly formed ordinance review committee found many towns have a nuisance ordinance that provides direction in handling issues related to promoting health, safety and nuisance issues. The article is recommended by the select board.
Articles 49-61 proposes various language amendments to the building code, mooring, and Wright Landing, flood plain management; shoreland zoning, site plan review, and sub division ordinances.
The Westport Island annual town meeting will convene at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 22, at the historic town hall, located at 1217 Main Road.
(Sherwood Olin contributed to this article.)
