VASSALBORO — Residents at the annual Town Meeting approved several budget items Monday night, including the expenditure of $36,800 for police and animal control, and more than $115,000 for the Fire Department.
About 100 people came to the Vassalboro Community School to consider 61 warrant items. As of the Kennebec Journal’s press deadline, they had yet to vote on the total town or school budgets.
Residents were being asked to approve town and school budgets that would increase taxes by $1 per $1,000 of property valuation.
The tax increase, from a $10 rate to $11, was proposed because the state is sending $467,146 less to the school system for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Vassalboro is part of Alternative Organizational Structure 92, which also serves Waterville and Winslow.
The proposed budget is $6.6 million, which is $116,191 lower than the current spending plan.
Town Manager Mary Sabins said last week that the $1.7 million town budget is down slightly from last year, as the town tried to hold the line in anticipation of the need for more funding for the schools.
Other items to be considered:
* Ordinance changes that will require those who apply for building permits or subdivisions in the well-head protection area to notify the East Vassalboro Water Co. of the proposal.
* A proposal to exempt active-duty military personnel from the vehicle excise tax. Those who are deployed for more than 180 days outside the state are eligible to apply for the exemption.
* A resolution calling on Congress to amend the U.S. Constitution to spell out that “corporations are not entitled to the rights of natural persons” when it comes to spending on political campaigns. The resolution is part of a national movement. Similar resolutions already have passed in Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield, Bangor and Portland.
Town voters will be asked today to choose between two men for selectman: incumbent Philip Haines and newcomer Marshall Crandall. In the School Committee contest, incumbent Frederick Denico faces challenger Jolene Clark Gamage.
Susan Cover — 621-5643
scover@mainetoday.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
