Four candidates will square off Friday in town elections for one open seat on the Palmyra Board of Selectmen. Town Clerk Valerie Sprague said incumbent Selectman Ronald Rowe, whose term is up this year, can not seek reelection because he is moving to another town.
On the election ballot Friday for a three-year term on the five-member board are Herbert Bates, Aaron Chadbourne, David Gilbert and Tyler Norris. Polls will be open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday at the Palmyra Community Center on Madawaska Road.
The annual business meeting is set for 10 a.m. Saturday at the same location.
Sprague said if all the articles are passed Saturday as written, the new municipal budget for the coming year will be about $1,119,474, which is $86,487 more than last year’s spending package. She said increases in spending are due to proposals of $45,000 for the town’s share of a new culvert on Libby Hill Road, $27,000 from capital improvement funds for repairs to the roof at the Community Center and miscellaneous office purchases or leases, such as a computer and a new copier.
The tax rate going into Town Meeting this year is $18 for every $1,000 in property valuation. The final tax rate will not be known until the school budget is completed and county tax is assessed.
“There’s nothing out of the ordinary for the meeting this year,” Sprague said by phone Wednesday. “We’re not asking for anything in particular, just continue paying on what we have for loans out with no big increases on any of the town budgets.”
Articles to be voted on from the floor of the meeting Saturday include $130,000 for town charges, including payroll, contracted services, utilities and supplies, and another $45,000 to maintain the Community Center.
Voters also will be asked to spend $87,392 as the third of five annual payments for road paving, $40,000 for gravel work, $220,000 for the Public Works Department and $182,287 as the second of five payments from the state Local Road Assistance account on another paving project.
Also on the town meeting warrant is a proposal to spend $21,000 for the final payment on three trucks purchased for the Public Works Department; $57,000 for fire protection; and $110,000 for solid waste disposal.
There also is a proposal to take $110,000 from surplus to lower the 2018 tax commitment.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow
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