Voters to decide half a budget
KINGFIELD – Voters will decide a six-month budget as the town shifts from a calendar year to a fiscal, July 1 to June 30, year in order to align itself with the school and state budget schedules at the Saturday, March 6 annual town meeting.
The proposed six-month interim budget total is $390,639, more than half the current budget of $709,180 because of anticipated spring snow removal costs and several of the nonprofit summer events the town helps support will need funding before the new regular June town meeting.
Webster Library, Kingfield Pops, Kingfield Days, the Recreation Department’s summer programs, Salem Economic Ministry and the Stanley Museum are among the nonprofits proposed for upfront spring budgeting requests to be heard.
Doug Marble, the town administrative assistant said those nonprofit budget totals will be good for the next 15 months, January 2010 through June 2011, with the entities expected to return at the same time next year to fund the summer events again.
Elections will be held in June as only one annual election is allowed by law, Marble said. In addition the LD1 question, which usually brings a fair amount of explanation discussion won’t be on the warrant because the budget proposed is only half the usual amount and won’t come close to the formalized budget limit of the state law.
Four vie for selectmen
STRONG – Four men are running for two, three-year selectmen terms. Incumbents Milt Baston, Jim Burrill face challengers Rupert Pratt and Robert Boyd in the election to be held 1 to 6p.m. Friday at the Forster Memorial Building.
Also running unopposed is incumbent Lois Barker for the three-year town clerk job and Duanye Boyd for a three-year term as fire chief. Boyd has been serving as interim fire chief since Scott Dyar moved to Texas. Nobody is officially running for a seat on the budget committee so it will be up to whoever wins the most write-in votes, Lois Barker said.
Strong’s annual town meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 6 at the Forster Memorial Building on Main Street. Voters will decide a 57-article warrant with no significant increases proposed. Barker said fear of an expected big school budget will probably keep the spending down.
Budget down this year
EUSTIS – Longtime selectman John Caldwell is running unopposed in Friday’s election, but two are vying for school director. Incumbent Sara Woods is being challenged by Sarah Strunk for the MSAD 58 seat. Polls are open from 4 to 8 p.m. at the community center.
Nobody files nomination papers for the budget committee , which has three openings.
Voters will gather on Saturday, March 6 at 9 a.m. to begin deliberations of a 33-article warrant with an overall proposed budget decrease of $16,000.
Budget up slightly
WELD – A proposed 180-day wind turbine moratorium and changes to the shoreland zoning ordinance may stir up some health debate among voters attending this year’s annual town meeting set for 10 a.m. Saturday, March 6 at the community center.
Incumbent Nancy Stowell and Kelly Hutchinson are running for a seat on the Board of Selectmen, the town’s assessor and overseer of the poor. Carol Cochran wants to continue as town clerk and tax collector and is running opposed again this year. Nancy Pratt is also running unopposed for a seat on the planning board. Polls open on Friday, March 5 from 4 to 8 p.m.
The proposed budget is up a total of about $30,000 over the current budget, mostly in anticipation of small, general increases over the next year and the expected loss of revenue from the state, Cochran said.
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Incumbents want to stay
NEW SHARON — The annual town meeting on Saturday, March 6 begins at 9 a.m. and will be held at the Cape Cod Hill School.
Office nominations are taken from the floor at the top of the meeting. Selectman Larry Donald is seeking re-election as are incumbents: school director Bill Reid, town clerk and tax collector Rose Mary Eller and Scott Pratt as treasurer.
