Wiscasset Approves School Budget With Third Town Vote

The Lincoln County News, July 23,2008
By Greg Foster

A much trimmed $9.32 million Wiscasset school budget finally gained acceptance in the third secret ballot vote Tuesday along with all other questions, including a second time for the parks and recreation department budget.

School officials breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the election results even though the school budget narrowly passed by a 315-281 margin.

"It's a relief to be able to focus on filling vacancies and getting ready for the next school year," Supt. Jay McIntire said the following morning.

At least now the school system has a new budget to work with for 2008-09 instead of relying on the 2007-08 budget still in affect until a new budget was passed. The local appropriation is $4.06 million.

"The budget process takes a tremendous amount of work and would have been better spent if we could have focused on education instead," McIntire said. "Next year we hope we can get a budget passed more efficiently."

The $808,975 parks and recreation budget, including $295,899 to be raised and appropriated passed with a 363-229 vote. The question of a new police cruiser passed by a 308-267 decision. Voters agreed to use unexpended funds from the police budget, instead of a new appropriation.

Last Tuesday school officials and board members reluctantly consented to go along with a majority budget committee recommendation for a flat budget, out of fear the third vote might fail.

Budget committee members warned that would happen if the figure voters would act upon totaled $9.38 million as presented at the public hearing on the articles last Tuesday. Half way through the public hearing, the board reversed its decision to move ahead with it and acquiesced to the budget committee's request.

Some doubt existed about the recreation budget's passage because the question on the ballot showed a $23,715 reduction, but with an overall increase of $41,680 because of fuel figures received after budget calculations.

An estimated $513,076 in revenues is expected to fund the remainder of the budget.

The request for $18,804 for a police cruiser the first time around on June 10 was to come from taxation, but by the end of the month, the end of fiscal year report showed sufficient unexpended funds. Police intend to trade two of the existing high-mileage cruisers in exchange for a new one, so the department will have only two motor vehicles to maintain and insure.

The wastewater treatment plant question for an additional $8950 appropriation from surplus to address the heating oil account shortfall passed overwhelmingly by a 416-157 vote.

A question on $17,920 to be raised and appropriated for the public works and municipal building heating oil accounts obtained a margin of 406-188 votes.

The fire department request for a $20,879 appropriation from the undesignated fund balance for repairs to the ladder truck passed by a 428-167 vote.

A request from the airport to use $8000 from the unexpended fund balance to replace windows in the terminal also passed by a 304-269 vote.