At long last, annual town meetings are over for the year.
Since March, towns in Lincoln County have been meeting in person or voting at the polls to consider budgets, ordinances, and candidates for municipal office.
Thank you for bearing with us as we pushed out municipally heavy editions; we look forward to getting more features in the mix here soon. The next few weeks will be especially exciting with the addition of some new full-time reporters as well as summer interns (more to come on that in the future).
Matters close to home are crucial. While state and federal elections are important, it is vital to be involved at the local level. Whether they are held in person or by referendum, annual town meetings allow residents to voice their opinions on budgets and other decisions, an opportunity that is not afforded in many other places outside of the state.
This year alone, many decisions were made based off said input from voters. In March, South Bristol residents spent hours discussing a possible aquaculture ordinance that was eventually turned down.
One meeting turned into two for Bristol after the education budget wasn’t passed by voters in March. It was given the thumbs-up during a special town meeting a month later.
At an open town meeting to consider just the education budget, Edgecomb voters eventually decided to pass the $4 million budget with amendments.
Most recently, Wiscasset voters decided to overturn the decision made two years ago to move the town’s wastewater treatment facility to where the public works department is located, meaning the town will need to find a new location.
The list goes on and on.
Many might think that this is it for the year and the next time you need to show up for an annual town meeting is next year. That is far from true.
The contents of the articles you see on your annual town meeting warrants are the culmination of months of work. For many towns and school districts, the budget process for the next fiscal year will begin in the next few months.
The articles you vote on and the numbers you choose do not just live within the world of your polling location. These decisions impact the rest of your year, so do not let one day be the only time you decide to participate. In situations like the decision in Wiscasset to change where the wastewater treatment facility is moved, plenty of conversation that is open to the public will be had in the upcoming weeks.
Whether it is a select board meeting, school committee meeting, or budget workshop, public attendance is encouraged. Board members are elected based on the public’s faith in their ability to serve the community, but they still heavily rely on input from the residents.
Don’t be the person who waits until last minute to brush up on the budget and find something you don’t like. Attend meetings throughout the year, ask questions, and make suggestions.
Most importantly, educate yourself before you make any decision on budgets, ordinances, and future leaders. Before every town’s meetings and elections, we share budget and warrant information, usually supplemented with reasoning from town officials. This can include anything from why there is an increase in the regular education budget to why there is a proposed amendment to a decades-old ordinance.
In the meantime, register to vote and pay attention to your local politics. See you next annual town meeting season.
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The Lincoln County News would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to our own Emily Bracher. Bracher joined the staff in February and was quickly on her own, becoming the only full-time reporter on staff. For two months, she has held down the fort and jumped from town to town and subject to subject. She has risen to every occasion and her efforts have been remarkable. What an impressive start!
