In a special town vote Sept. 14, Wiscasset voters passed eight out of the nine articles in a warrant full of potential departmental closings and budget cutbacks. Going against both the Wiscasset Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee recommendations, voters voted ‘no’ on question two, an article to appropriate $78,671 for municipal planning. The article failed by three votes, 213-210.
“Certainly during a time when we’re trying to make Wiscasset business friendly, not having a municipal planning department puts us at ground zero. We need to understand what piece of the budget that the town isn’t comfortable with and move forward,” Town Manager Laurie Smith said.
In an open letter to the citizens of Wiscasset, Smith wrote it would “irresponsible” for the town to “close” a department because of a negative vote. Citing a general lack of understanding concerning the process, she urged citizens to become “educated on the budget articles before they vote.”
The narrow passage of Question 1, which allows the selectmen to expend 3/12 of the previous year’s budget in event any departmental budgets failed to pass, does provide some short-term recourse for the department.
In other articles on the ballot, Question 5 concerning the police department was passed by 31 votes and will move forward toward the appropriation of $339,834.
In a 213-vote, voters overwhelmingly authorized Question 8 and the transfer of $20,000 from the Waste Water Treatment Plant Impact Fee account for the purpose of a generator for the pump station.
Question 7, the waterfront and harbors article, passed 222-203 effectively appropriating $51,218 to the department.
“I guess they’re giving me my boat back, which is a good thing. It’s hard to be in charge of a harbor when you don’t have a boat. Hopefully the personal part of this debate will go away now that towns people have spoke,” Harbormaster Peter Dalton said.
The following articles were also passed by the town: $51,831 for Code Enforcement (257-166); $49,298 for the airport (252-171); and $1600 for municipal boards and committees (286-138).
According to Town Clerk Christine Wolfe, there were 425 votes in all with “just shy” of 200 absentee votes.
“This was more than double the turnout of the last special election,” she said.
