SKOWHEGAN — Voters approved a $17.4 million municipal budget Monday at the annual Town Meeting.
The budget is an 11% increase to the current year’s $15.7 million spending plan.
Town Manager Christine Almand said Monday that most of the increase was driven by wages and benefits for town employees, the mounting costs of utilities and maintenance fees and a 25% increase in capital reserve funds.
“This is a lot of ask of the taxpayers,” Almand said.
The town manager said in an interview last month she would not know until August the impact the budgetary increase will have on the property tax rate, but said she anticipates it will increase from the current $17.48 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
All 66 articles in the town warrant passed Monday, with residents voting to amend one before approving the entire spending plan.
The town manager’s office was budgeted this year to include $119,000 for a new, full-time assistant town manager’s position, with full benefits. After some tense discussion, a majority of residents effectively voted the position down by moving to cut $120,000 from the town manager’s operating budget.
Selectman Steven Govoni said the Board of Selectmen had proposed the position after having received feedback that residents wanted the town manager to engage in more public outreach.
“There’s a ton of outreach that’s needed,” Govoni said Monday. “(Almand) wasn’t acting like a mayor would. She was doing her job as manager, managing the town. It was time to bring someone in to help manage.”
Almand said at the meeting she has many responsibilities as town manager, including overseeing 10 department heads and a couple of other town employees.
“This is to help do a better job at some public outreach, education, as well as to manage these projects we have going on,” Almand said, referencing the estimated $650 million in investments underway in the town.
Residents felt the need for more public outreach did not amount to $119,000, especially given the large increase in the overall budget, while taxpayers face increased cost-of-living expenses, including utilities.
“We need to live within our means,” one resident said. “This budget is too high this year.”
Some of the largest approved expenses Monday included $1.7 million for the town’s Fire Department and $2.5 million for the Police Department.
The approved Police Department budget includes two new police officer positions that are to be funded, in part, by a federal COPS grant.
A new public safety building housing the Police and Fire departments is expected to be ready in September, Almand said Monday.
Other major expenses include $1.1 million for solid waste and recycling, and $1.6 million for road maintenance. An additional $1.4 million in capital reserve funding was allocated this year to road maintenance.
The town voted to appropriate all $1.4 million of its undesignated funds to reduce the tax commitment this year, and overwhelmingly approved increasing the property tax levy limit for the first time in eight years.
Monday’s meeting also included a presentation of the Spirit of America Award to MacKenzie Cayford.
Cayford “exemplifies the meaning of volunteerism,” said Todd Smith, chair of the Board of Selectmen.
Smith said Cayford was recognized for her work on Skow-Whoville, an annual Christmas event in town organized by Main Street Skowhegan, and for her work on several committees promoting events in Skowhegan throughout the year, including RiverFest and BrewFest.
Cayford received a standing ovation when presented with the award.
On Tuesday, voters were asked to decide on two contested elections — one for an open seat on the Board of Selectmen, the other for four open seats on the Maine School Administrative District 54 board of directors — and whether to pass the school district’s proposed $41.8 million budget.
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