Residents approved every item on the Mount Vernon annual Town Meeting warrant Saturday, including the town portion of a total budget that is up 5.45 percent.

About 45 people attended the approximately two-hour-long meeting at the Mount Vernon Elementary School, and the entire warrant was passed as proposed, according to Paul Crockett, chairman of the Selectmen.

Crockett said residents moved through the budget-related articles quickly.

Municipal spending in the budget totaled $1.3 million. When combined with Mount Vernon’s share of the Kennebec County budget and share of the Regional School Unit 38 budget, the overall budget reaches $4.7 million, an approximately $300,000, or 5.45 percent, increase.

The budget approved by residents Saturday included: $107,000 for the transfer station, $174,332 for road construction and paving, $187,550 for the snowplowing contract, as well as $68,250 for the salt and sand stockpile, $40,000 set aside for capital improvements for public works and highways, and about $250,000 in appropriations for general government.

Crockett said the public works budget was up about $46,000, with $10,000 of that increase for snow plowing, $20,000 for a roads capital improvement account, $8,000 for construction and $3,000 for maintenance.

Voters also approved using almost $521,000 in revenue, which includes an estimated $290,000 in vehicle excise taxes, to fund the budget and reduce the amount of money to come from property taxes.

And residents agreed to take $50,000 from the undesignated fund balance, which is made up of funds unspent in previous years, to use toward expansion of the Dr. Shaw Memorial Library, which is underway.

Four amendments to the Mount Vernon Land Use Ordinance, regarding setbacks, “automobile hobbyists,” the definition of adjacent lot, and mineral extraction and blasting, were approved, Crockett said, following a presentation by Susan Herman, chairwoman of the Ordinance Review Committee.

Steve Hayes, of Readfield, moderated the meeting.

Copy the Story Link