JEFFERSON — Elected officials and a small group of residents met Thursday night at the Jefferson Village School to discuss the proposed 2016 budget, which calls for a spending increase of more than $80,000 from the previous year.

The big item in the budget is an additional $63,716 for snow plowing contracts. Last year, the town needed $178,644 for its snow plowing, but despite the mild winter, the contract went up to more than $242,000 for 2016.

Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Gregory Johnston said the town solicited bids for its snowplow contract and accepted the lowest one.

“We have to go with whoever we can get,” Johnston said. “We’re right in line with where we want to be.”

Punk Point and Valley roads need improvements, and the budget calls for funds to help make repairs to those roads. The board and the road commissioner submitted a proposal to use $45,440 from state grant for the reconstruction of those two roads and an additional $12,800 for Punk Point Road.

“Punk Point is the road we determined to be in the worst shape,” Johnston said. “We try to pick a road every year and work on it until it’s finished, and this one is in pretty tough shape.”

The budget also proposes $20,000 for the Jefferson Fire Truck and Rescue Reserve Fund that would be invested by the town’s treasurer until the money is needed.

Most of the people in attendance chose to sit back and listen to the board members rather than ask questions. However, representatives from three local nonprofit organizations — Spectrum Generations, Healthy Kids and the Jefferson Community Food Pantry — did speak about their groups’ request for funding.

Healthy Kids requested $800, the same amount it asked for last year. The child abuse and neglect prevention organization provides home visits and information on parenting, disciplinary issues and infant care.

Spectrum Generations, headquartered in Damariscotta, provides home-delivered meals, homemaker services and respite care.

Joshua Rich, adult and disabilities resource counselor for Spectrum Generations, said the $1,500 his group requested is only a fraction of the amount of services they provide Jefferson’s residents.

“What it ends up being used for is our programs dealing with resource counseling for the aging and disabled,” Rich said. “Lincoln County is the oldest county in the state in the oldest state in the union, so our services are critical.”

Aaron Green-Morse helped get the food pantry started again last year at St. Giles’ Episcopal Church after it operated for more than two decades at the town’s First Baptist Church. Green-Morse said she also expects the food pantry, which serves people in Jefferson, Nobleboro, Somerville, Waldoboro and Alna, to appear on Somerville’s town warrant for its June 18 Town Meeting.

The town will elect one Board of Selectmen member, one road commissioner, four members of the Budget Committee and two members of the School Committee. Johnston is running unopposed for his selectman’s seat.

The budget calls for an additional $12,694 for local government administration, including an increase of more than $4,000 for general salaries, while the budget stipulates the need for $94,207 for the transfer station, a decrease of nearly $6,800.

The town’s annual report showed $3,750,996 in taxes collected in 2015, with $418,560 outstanding.

Jefferson residents will vote in the election and on budget items by secret ballot from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. March 29 at the Jefferson Fire Station. Lynne Barnikow, Jefferson’s town clerk, said the town has used the secret ballot for more than a decade and added that “we haven’t had any complaints.”

Jason Pafundi — 621-5663

jpafundi@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @jasonpafundiKJ

 

Copy the Story Link