Woodstock: A revaluation, approved by residents at the March town meeting, has delayed tax bill preparation for this year. Town officials said that tax bills would be coming out a month later than usual because the revaluation took longer than expected.
Wilton: The board of selectmen decided to forego a $45,000 state urgent needs grant to run a water line to 14 homes with contaminated wells because the grant covered only about half the costs. A 1999 town vote bars any investment in new water lines. Town officials plan to apply for a Community Development Block Grant to fully fund the project.
Etna: The town is getting a $300,000 CDBG grant to improve at least 25 low income homes. The grant will help the homeowners replace septic and heating systems, install new roofs, windows and doors, and with other types of improvement projects.
East Machias: At a July special election, residents here voted overwhelmingly, 130-10, to support the selectmen’s recommendation that the town withdraw from SAD 77. The next step for the town residents will be to bring their wishes to the Commissioner of Education. East Machias selectmen and school board members contend that they are paying an inappropriate share of the SAD 77 budget.
SAD 50: By a 338-196 vote, district residents rejected the school budget for the third time. The school district includes Thomaston, Cushing and St. George.
SAD 48: Voters in this school district defeated last year’s school budget five times before passing it at an open meeting. They seem to be on a similar path this year defeating for a second time the 2004-05 school budget in early August. Of the six communities in the district only Corinna residents voted in favor of the budget.
Lincolnville: A local minister wanted to put signs on his Route 52 lawn with quotations from the Bible, but Code Enforcement Officer Jana Wood said the signs were within 33 feet of the centerline of the road and therefore violated the town’s sign ordinance. The town’s sign ordinance allows signs only on business property, and has no exceptions for religious messages.
SAD 13: An all too familiar situation faces this school district. In June, West Forks residents voted the town (and its three students) out of the district and next year Caratunk is expected to pull out, leaving only the towns of Moscow and Bingham in the district. The small, rural school district, of 335 students, has a $2.9 million budget. The smaller towns with few students and relatively high property values find the cost sharing formula unfair (70% value/30% students) and therefore find tuitioning a better financial deal. Town officials in the larger communities say they are paying high property taxes now, even though their per pupil cost is less.