As the war of petitions rages over the Wiscasset Planning Department, we hope town officials and residents will pause to consider alternatives to an all-or-nothing approach.
Supporters of the planning department say the position contributes to economic development, which grows the tax base. Opponents say the town cannot afford a full-time planner as it struggles to stabilize the tax rate.
Both are correct. We think the town should look to its neighbors for inspiration and consider a third path.
Damariscotta, for example, contracts a part-time planner at a cost far less than the salary and benefits of a full-time employee. The arrangement appears to work well, with both financial stability for the town and stability in personnel.
Waldoboro also contracts for planning services, although it is just a couple months into its first contract.
A contract for part-time planning services, or perhaps a regional solution in collaboration with other towns, could help resolve Wiscasset’s standoff.
The planning department is a drop in the bucket of Wiscasset’s $5 million-plus budget, but it has become a symbol of the sharp division in the town between those who support cuts in the size of town government to achieve tax relief and those who believe the town can achieve long-term tax relief through growth.
With a compromise, both can gain a little and lay to rest an unnecessarily divisive issue.
