To the Editor:
Damariscotta and Newcastle have a unique opportunity to reduce unnecessary expenses and reduce property taxes and/or provide more funds for needed infrastructure improvements. Both towns are now looking for a town manager. Before hiring two persons, serious consideration could be given to combining the positions using a single experienced manager.
The towns have successfully shared an excellent K-8 school, and smoothly added a third town. We have had a shared Codes Enforcement Officer for many years and now a joint Public Works Department maintaining our roads and buildings. The Town Landing is a shared operation and we have a single harbor committee.
Newcastle residents have been invited to work on the Damariscotta DPAC committee and the GSB Sanitary District serves both towns. Historical records show both had town offices in the Lincoln Theater building.
Now is the time to take the next step, a bold move that could save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Damariscotta is operating with an interim town manager; Newcastle is starting a search for its next administrator. Why not a joint manager?
Administrative districts have worked well in Maine for schools, why not towns? New England traditionally does not have strong county governments that manage everything from schools and roads to water and sewer services and law enforcement. That may work in other states, but probably not here.
Our two towns together spend about $600,000 for management, assessing and clerical salaries and benefits – for a total population of less than 5000. We could easily find cities and towns with twice our population operating for about half that amount.
As two citizens who have been volunteers on town finance or planning committees, we urge our Select Boards to look into the possibility of a shared manager through the mechanism of an administrative district, a better idea than a merger of two distinct towns into one called DamCastle!
A shared manager could also allow us to have one Fire Dept. Chief. The last proposal to do that died when the question of which town manager the chief would report to halted further discussion.
Economically, America is hurting, Maine is hurting and we are hurting. It is time for bold moves to save money and ensure our future. We can lead the way and others will surely follow.
If we don’t, the state may eventually hold out some requirement to reduce municipal costs the same way the law has forced school districts to merge.
Larry Townley, Damariscotta
David Bailey, Newcastle
