Voters in central Maine this week weighed in on a variety of ballot and other questions, ranging from municipal elections to town referendum questions to school budgets. Here are the outcomes to some of those questions voters settled this week:

Madison residents adopt $3.5M town budget

Residents attending this week’s annual Town Meeting approved a $3.5 million municipal budget.

The new budget is about a 3.5% increase, amounting to $120,385, from the current fiscal year. There was no single item that caused the increase and was instead due to an overall jump in expenses outside the town’s control, according to Town Manager Tim Curtis. The impact of the budget increase on the local tax rate will not be known until July or August.

Major expenses in the newly approved budget include $642,250 for general government, $659,450 for public safety, $609,000 for public utilities and $640,050 for public works.

One article reviewed at Monday’s meeting generated significant discussion, Curtis said. It asked residents if they wanted to change the town clerk position from an elected position to an appointed one. Residents ultimately decided to support the change, and it will go into effect in July 2023. Another article adopted Monday changed the term for the town’s road commissioner from one year to three years.

The town clerk currently holds office for a one-year term, Curtis said. The position has been held by Kathy Estes, who is retiring after 19 years on the job. Winning Tuesday’s election for the position was Triss Smith.

In contested elections, incumbents Ronald Moody and Al Veneziano were reelected to the Select Board; Irene Christopher and Angela McKenney were elected to the Maine School Administrative District 59 board of directors; and Phil Curtis and Kevin Lombard will serve on the Anson-Madison Water District board of trustees.

The water district has faced scrutiny in the last several months after the superintendent was fired and later charged with theft. Trustees chose to dismiss the rest of the district staff and contracted with the Maine Rural Water Association to manage district operations.

Residents on Monday also approved the use of about $260,000 in federal American Rescue Plan money to cover several expenses, including road surface projects, Fire Department equipment purchases, small business matching grant programs and town property renovations.

Regional School Unit 18 budget gets voter approval

Regional School Unit 18 voters Tuesday approved a $41.7 million budget for 2022-23. Oakland voters approved the budget, 501-167; Belgrade voters, 250-95; China, 507-160; Rome, 124-38; and Sidney, 241-144.

Voters in those towns also approved supporting a referendum on a revolving renovation loan for $3.7 million. The state loan is used for mostly energy improvements and has zero percent interest over 10 years. The RSU is required to pay only about half of it back.

RSU 18 voters also approved the process for validating the budget by referendum for the next three years.

Winslow OKs school budget

Winslow residents Tuesday approved a proposed $18.1 million school budget for 2022-23. The budget represents a 2.38% increase, or $198,585, to the total tax appropriation.

The vote was 533-168. Increases to the budget are reflected in negotiated salaries, fuel costs and the hiring of two educational technicians, a social worker and a speech therapist.

Voters also chose, in a 511-192 vote, to continue for the next three years having a referendum vote to validate the annual school budget.

 

Morning Sentinel staff writers Taylor Abbott, Kaitlyn Budion and Amy Calder contributed to this report.

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