Voters in the town of Washington will weigh in on whether the town should adopt a moratorium on marijuana retail and social establishments during Town Meeting on Saturday.
Last year, voters overwhelmingly opposed a moratorium, but the Board of Selectmen decided it is still an important issue and something voters should decide again at this Town Meeting.
Voting for elective positions — including one spot on the Board of Selectmen and one on the Regional School Unit 40 board — will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Gibbs Library on Old Union Road, while Town Meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Prescott Memorial School on Waldoboro Road.
During Saturday’s meeting, selectmen plan to present a $1,240,194 spending plan for the 2018 fiscal year. The plan is an increase of more than $77,500 over the previous year, or 6.6 percent more than the 2017 fiscal year budget.
The proposed plan includes an additional $26,790 for the Knox County, Tri-County Solid Waste Management Organization and Union Ambulance assessments. There is also a proposed $8,750 increase for utilities and maintenance, and a $7,200 increase for salaries, stipends, employee health insurance and payroll expenses.
According to the 35-article warrant, voters will decide whether the Select Board can spend $63,423 for public safety, the same amount as last year, and more than $30,000 for insurance. Town officials also are hoping to appropriate $150,000 from the Local Roads Assistance Program for capital improvements on town roads, an increase of more than $46,000 over last year’s request.
Other business includes a request for $374,284 for maintenance of town roads and related operations, a decrease of more than $7,000 from 2017. The selectmen also will ask for $16,000 for town carryover accounts.
The town is saving money in a number of areas, including additional general fund revenue, which will help lower the 2018 tax commitment by $468,077, an increase of almost $2,000 over last year. The new tax rate is expected to be set after the school budget in finalized in June.
The current property tax rate is $15.20 per $1,000 of assessed value, meaning the owner of a home valued at $150,000 would pay $2,280 in annual property tax.
Berkley Linscott is running unopposed for re-election to the Board of Selectmen for a three-year term. Staci Bowman and Daniel Furrow are running for a three-year term on the Regional School Unit 40 board. Eighty votes were cast during last year’s election, and a similar turnout is expected Friday.
Jason Pafundi — 621-5663
Twitter: @jasonpafundiKJ
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