FARMINGTON — Voters will consider a proposed $11.87 million budget at Monday’s annual town meeting.

It begins at 7 p.m. in the Bjorn Auditorium at Mt. Blue High School, 129 Seamon Road.

Town Manager Erica LaCroix said the amount is $461,063, or 4%, more than the current $11.41 million.

She said an article on the Legal Reserve Account was amended by selectmen at the March 12 meeting.

At that meeting, she advised that a $9,000 increase is being requested for 2024. “We are $9,000 in the hole as of the end of 2023 and we normally put $5,000 in, so the total appropriation was supposed to say $14,000. That is what it says in the budget but I misprinted it on the warrant. It really needs to be $14,000.”

This year, some capital reserve accounts have been pulled out of department budgets and put in a separate category.

Capital reserves is money set aside for replacements or major expenditures, “so rather than have those sitting in the operating budget — that is not where they belong — I just moved them to capital.

“It is really only moving them from one place to another, not really changing the overall appropriations for the budget but reclassifying them to their appropriate category,” she said.

Under the statement of fact for the Police Department budget, expansion of services for animal control is mentioned.

“The actual amount we budgeted for that did not change,” LaCroix said. “We did move it from one line item to another. It was sitting in the administrative salary budget, we moved it to the part-time budget. We were also paying for that on a stipend basis and now the person that is doing those duties is a true part-time employee, as well as doing all the parking enforcement. I don’t think there is real substantive change there.”

Another article asks voters to accept the dedication of Stone Hill Drive and waiver of damages made by Vining Land Development, establishing a town way on Stone Hill Drive. “They are holding the town harmless for anything that is wrong with the road if we accept it,” LaCroix said.

Select Board  Chairman Matthew Smith said there are no major expenses in the proposed budget. “I don’t see any major issues or concerns. I think this is a good, sound budget.”

The county budget is going up and the Regional School Unit 9 one is expected to also. “That will affect us down the road,” he said.

“Once again, our biggest expense will be with the highway department, but it is with our roads program,” Smith said. “That seems to be going along fine. We are seeing great results.”

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Chesterville voters split FEMA storm damage money evenly for roadwork

Next »

Wilton to see 8% sewer rate increase