SIDNEY — Residents will consider 54 articles Friday and Saturday at Town Meeting, including minor ordinance changes and a $1.79 million municipal spending plan.
Voting on a Town Meeting moderator and three unopposed Board of Selectmen positions will take place from 12:15 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Sidney Town Office. Alisa Meggison-Keimel is seeking re-election for a three-year term, Andrew McMullen is running for the two remaining years of a three-year term vacated by Laura Parker, and James Pinkham is running for a two-year term.
The open Town Meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday at James H. Bean School on 52 other articles.
The town’s estimated municipal spending totals $1,793,720.50 if all articles looking to appropriate funds are approved. That would be a $122,796.50 increase — 7.3 percent — from the current budget. The increase is fueled by a line item on the purchase of a $50,000 loader, as well as small increases in summer highway maintenance and town government operating expenses.
Voters are expected to raise a maximum of only $230,850 through property taxes for municipal spending. The selectmen recommended paying $1,306,787 from surplus, despite all warrant articles for the budget asking residents to “raise and appropriate” funds. In Sidney, according to administrative assistant Angela Nelson, all revenue — excise tax, revenue sharing and other items — is rolled into a surplus account to be used in the next fiscal year’s budget.
Nelson said the town’s surplus is never depleted by it to pay for municipal costs; its currently balance is $1.328 million.
Further, $134,815 would be appropriated from bond funds, $50,600 would come from other reserves, $42,948 would come from a block grant and $50,000 to buy the aforementioned loader could be paid for by a loan.
The $230,850 appropriation could shrink if voters in Sidney reject small-sum spending articles. Last year, voters rejected two articles on appropriating money for Spectrum Generations — which asked for $1,900 last year and $770 this year — and Community Health and Counseling Services — which asked for $200 last year and $274 this year. Spectrum Generation served 129 Sidney residents and Community Health and Counseling Services served 13 Sidney residents, according to the warrant.
Residents also have a number of minor ordinance changes to consider. The changes would fine-tune rules for cluster housing subdivisions, multi-unit dwellings, boat moorings and zoning performance standards.
Article 52 could authorize the selectmen to determine the “cost effectiveness of installing solar panels on the Old Landfill property” to supply electricity to town buildings. If they were to determine it was cost-effective, a multi-year agreement would be authorized.
Article 53 could accept Richard Road, which includes part of the Pepin Estates Subdivision, as a public way.
Sam Shepherd — 621-5666
Twitter: @SamShepME
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