MOSCOW — Residents will be asked to consider on Monday night at the Town Meeting two proposals related to the town’s 2016 bicentennial celebration, including money to fund a July celebration and funding for a community clock.

While the bicentennial celebration of the town’s incorporation in January 1816 is still more than a year away, preparations are being made and the town already has set aside about $40,000 for the celebration, First Selectman Donald Beane said.

On Monday, voters will be asked to appropriate an additional $10,000 from surplus and raise $500 for the celebration, Beane said. The item is one of 64 articles on the warrant for the meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at the Moscow Town Hall.

Most of the money raised for the celebration will go to cover the expense of a fireworks display, which Beane said will cost several thousand dollars, and musical acts during the multi-day celebration.

Also up for consideration is a memorial clock that would be installed near the Town Office to commemorate the 200-year anniversary. The Budget Committee is estimating that the cost of the outdoor clock would be about $12,000, and it is recommending that residents raise about half of that cost, $6,000, this year, Beane said.

“Some people on the bicentennial committee thought it would be nice to have a permanent souvenir of the times and of the celebration,” he said.

Overall, there are not many changes being proposed to the town budget, Beane said. The Budget Committee is recommending that the town raise $407,425 and use $41,272 from surplus. Last year voters approved raising $327,019 and taking $76,483 from surplus. This year however, town officials decided to shift the amount of money being used from surplus because in the last few years the town has had little money while waiting for tax revenue to come in, Beane said.

One change includes changing a sand-and-salt shed fund to an emergency fund after the state waived a requirement that towns have sand-and-salt sheds. The town already had begun raising money for the project when the requirement was waived, Beane said.

“The money is already there and we haven’t done anything with it, so we just thought we’d like to have it as an emergency fund,” he said. The amount of money in the sand/salt fund is $96,974.

The town’s major road construction project for the coming year is the completion of paving Pierce Hill Road, and residents are being asked to raise $42,000 for the project. Also, a state grant will cover about $15,000 of the cost.

Also at Monday’s meeting, residents will be asked to consider two longtime proposals to benefit local students. The Budget Committee recommends the town raise $20,000 for a scholarship program that is open to any student who graduates high school and plans to continue his or her education within two years. The scholarship would be for $1,500 per year for up to four years. Also on the warrant is a request for $9,500 to cover the cost of school lunches for all students, including those who might not qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program.

Polls will be open for elections from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Three candidates are running for two seats on the School Administrative District 13 board of directors. Incumbent Adrienne Mathieu faces Olivia Beane and write-in candidate Danette Messer.

The business portion of the meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Moscow Town Hall.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

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