Wiscasset’s selectmen and budget committee have agreed to a suggestion from interim Town Manager Don Gerrish to support withdrawing $1.25 million from the town’s reserve account to reduce taxes for this year.
The agreement was made at the budget workshop last week. An article asking for voters’ approval will be put on the open town meeting warrant Saturday, May 31.
Wiscasset taxpayers could face a tax hike of 27.23 percent with a mil rate of $20.63, including the proposed school budget’s projected increase of $1.8 million.
If voters approve withdrawing the $1.25 million from the reserve account, the mil rate increase would be under 10 percent. Currently the mil rate is $16.20; with a 10 percent increase the mil rate would be about $17.82.
During a budget workshop May 13, Gerrish went through a draft copy of the warrant for the May 31 town meeting.
The selectmen and budget committee do not agree on the following budgets: police, planning, shellfish, parks and recreation, highway, senior center, waterfront and harbor, town office administration and operations, and Lincoln County Television.
The board and committee also disagree about the proposed hiring of a school resource office.
The selectmen are recommending $376,374 for the police budget, which would include the resource officer; the budget committee is recommending a budget of $336,776.
The budget committee is recommending a $50,844 planning budget which includes changing the town planner from a 40-hour position to 20 hours. The selectmen are recommending the planning budget with a 40-hour week at a cost of $77,384.
The budget committee is recommending $2,700 for shellfish conservation; the selectmen are recommending $10,630.
Shellfish Warden Jon Hentz urged the budget committee to reconsider funding the shellfish conservation program.
“If the shellfish conservation is not supported you will destroy an industry that has been here forever,” Hentz said. “It is a livelihood for the clam diggers and their families.”
Budget Committee member Neil Page said “the diggers need to put more time in their livelihood.”
The budget committee is recommending a $32,600 decrease in the parks and recreation department budget at $715,972. The selectmen are recommending $748,572. The parks and recreation department estimates its revenues at $475,000.
The budget committee is recommending a decrease in the highway budget of $26,000. The selectmen recommend $653,741, the budget committee is recommending $627,741.
The selectman recommend a budget of $40,649 for the Senior Center, the budget committee is recommending $35,750. The senior center estimated revenues are $25,750.
The waterfront and harbor budget proposed by the selectmen is $51,254, the budget committee is recommending $49,379. The estimated revenues for the waterfront and harbors is $18,750.
The town office administration operations budget being recommended by the selectmen is $178,163, the budget committee is recommending a $4,000 decrease.
Wiscasset selectmen are recommending a $6,000 donation to the Lincoln County Television, the budget committee is recommending $5,000.
The budgets that are being recommended by both the selectmen and budget committee include: municipal boards and committees, $1,611; municipal building maintenance operations, $62,392; code enforcement, $45,300; contingency $35,000; contractual services, $84,000; office of selectmen, $27,380; office of assessment, $78,348; office of tax collector, $153,456; town clerk, excise tax collector/registrar, $62,224; elections, $18,000; general assistance, $20,510; tax anticipation note interest, $17,000; municipal insurance, $83,876; unemployment, $5,000; celebrations, $14,000; fire department, $108,786; emergency medical services, $312,944; animal control, $10,390; public utilities, $182,000; waste water treatment plant, $391,649; cemeteries, $86,537; airport, $517,730.; Wiscasset Public Library, $60,000; cardiac monitors lease, $12,764; and municipal pier debt, $40,463.
Additional estimated revenues from the following departments include: excise, $500,000; emergency medical services, $249,000; transfer station, $262,842; charges for services, $530,900; airport, $323,415; and waterfront, $18,750. Other revenues include state revenues of $346,100 and miscellaneous revenues of $259,600.
Capital Improvements
Budget committee member Robert Blagden told the selectmen at the budget workshop meeting Tuesday evening he would not discuss the capital improvement articles if they were to be bundled on the warrant. Budget committee member John Merry told the board he had come to the meeting to get something done, and the budget committee should go through the items to determine what they were going to recommend.
After a lengthy discussion the selectmen decided they would list the capital improvement articles individually on the warrant.
Selectmen Pam Dunning and Judy Colby made it clear they were going to support all the items on the capital improvement list.
The budget committee will not recommend the following capital improvement articles: the municipal roof, $40,000; the generator for the town office building, $25,000; the waterfront Main Street electrical upgrade, $10,000; and the public works truck, $55,000.
The budget committee will recommend the following capital improvement items: EMS pagers. $7,000; fire department radio repeaters, $12,000; parks and recreation roof, $150,000; road paving and construction, $77,201; pier bond, $40,463; cardiac monitors lease, $12,226; airport easement obstruction, $8,000; tractor/mower/tug for airport, $17,000.
The selectmen will finalize the warrant for the town meeting at their Tuesday, May 20 meeting.
