Wiscasset voters will gather at Wiscasset Community Center Saturday, May 31, beginning at 9 a.m., to take care of town business. This will be the town’s first annual open town meeting since 2005, when the citizens voted in favor of a referendum vote.
The voters will decide if they want to withdraw $1.25 million from the town’s reserve account to offset an increase in the mil rate. The $1.25 million would result in a mil rate increase to $17.80 instead of $20.23, a 9.88 percent tax increase instead of a 27.32 percent increase.
The school budget has an increase of 25 percent, the town budget has an increase of 2 percent, and the county assessment has a less than 1 percent increase, according to interim Town Manager Donald Gerrish. Although there are several articles the selectmen and budget committee disagree on, they do agree on withdrawing from the reserve account to lower taxes.
The selectmen are recommending a police budget of $376,374, to include a new school resource officer. The budget committee is recommending $39,598 less for the police budget, not including a new school resource officer.
The budget committee is recommending the town planner’s hours be cut from 40 hours per week to 20 hours a week. The selectmen are recommending a planning budget of $77,384, keeping the planner on a 40-hour week; the budget committee is recommending $50,884, a cut of $26,500.
The budget committee is also recommending a decrease in the code enforcement officer’s hours from 20 hours to 15 hours per week. The selectmen are recommending a code enforcement officer’s budget of $45,300, for a 20-hour week; the budget committee wants to cut the budget by $6,975.
The selectmen are recommending $10,000 for shellfish conservation. The shellfish conservation department generates $2,700 in revenues that offset the appropriation. The budget committee is recommending no funding from the taxpayers, only the $2,700 that is generated.
The selectmen and budget committee also disagree on the parks and recreation department budget.
The recreation department generates about $475,000 in revenues to offset their budget proposal of $748,572. The budget committee is recommending a reduction of $32,000 from their operations budget.
The highway budget of $653,741 includes truck maintenance of $26,000; the budget committee is recommending eliminating $26,000 from this budget.
The senior center generates $25,750 in revenues to offset the selectmen’s recommendation of $40,649, the budget committee is recommending $35,750, supporting $10,000 over what is generated by the senior center.
Waterfront and harbors generates $18,750 in revenue to offset the selectmen’s recommended budget of $51,254. The budget committee is recommending the harbor master’s stipend be reduced by $1,875.
The town office administration and operations budget is $178,163. Included in that budget, the selectmen are recommending the administrative assistant’s hours be increased from 30 to 35 hours per week at a cost of $4,000. The budget committee is recommending the position stays at 30 hours per week.
The selectmen are recommending a $6,000 donation to Lincoln County Television; the budget committee is saying $5,000.
According to town policy, the town uses a percentage of interest earned each year from the reserve account to fund capital improvements within the town. This year, according to Gerrish’s calculations, the town will have $382,000 from the reserve account interest, and $71,890 in the unused money from the fund last year for a total of $453,890 to be used for capital improvements. This policy was developed to allow the town to make capital improvements without affecting the property taxes each year.
The selectmen and the budget committee disagree on some of the items being proposed by the selectmen for capital improvements.
The budget committee is not in favor of the following selectmen’s recommendations for capital improvement projects: $40,000 for a new roof on the municipal building; $10,000 for Main Street Pier electrical upgrades; and $55,000 for a public works truck.
The selectmen and the budget committee agree on the following capital improvement articles: $25,000 for a generator for the town office; $7,000 for emergency medical service pagers; $12,000 for fire department repeaters; $150,000 for parks and recreation roof repairs; $77,201 for road and sidewalk repairs; $8,000 for the town share of airport easement and obstruction remediation; and $17,000 for airport tractor/mower tug.
The selectmen and budget committee agree on the following budgets: boards and committees, $1,611; building maintenance operations, $62,392; contingency, $35,000; contractual services, $84,000; office of selectmen, $27,380; office of assessment and human resources, $78,348; office of finance and tax collector, $153,456; office of town clerk, excise tax collector, and registrar, $62,224; and office of elections, $18,400.
The general assistance budget is offset by $10,000 in state reimbursement. The selectmen and the budget committee are recommending $20,510 for general assistance. They are also recommending the following: $17,000 for the interest on the town’s tax anticipation note; $83,879 for municipal insurance; $5,000 for unemployment; and $14,500 for celebrations.
The town’s emergency services generate $249,000 in revenue to offset their budget of $312,944 that is being recommended by the selectmen and the budget committee. The wastewater treatment plant operational budget comes from departmental revenues. The selectmen and the budget committee recommend appropriating $391,649 for the wastewater treatment plant.
The Wiscasset Airport generates $323,415 in revenue. The selectmen and budget committee are recommending an appropriation of $316,657 for the airport budget.
The transfer station generates $262,842 in revenues, the selectmen and budget committee are recommending a budget of $517,730.
Other budgets that are being recommended by the selectmen and the budget committee include: fire department, $108,786; animal control, $10,390; public utilities, $182,000; and cemeteries, $86,537.
According to Gerrish, the proposed budget, including the $6.9 million for the school budget, would require $9.2 million to be raised from taxes if the voters do not agree to withdraw the $1.25 million from the reserve account. The withdrawal would cut the amount to be raised from taxes to $7.9 million.
On June 10 the voters will go to the polls to elect three selectmen, two school board members, four budget committee members, and two water district trustees.
They will also vote to validate the school budget of $6.9 million that was adopted at the school budget town meeting May 14.
The elections will be held at Wiscasset Community Center from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Absentee ballots are available at the town office until Thursday, June 5.
