Winterville Plantation

It took 16 residents just 25 minutes Saturday morning to approve the proposed $121,832 municipal budget.

The spending plan included a $4,000 increase to hot-top the municipal parking lot and an additional $3,000 in the highway budget for road repair.

The budget will not change the tax rate of $13.20 per $1,000 in property valuation.

James Nadeau, first selectman, who has been on the board for 25 years, said the plantation is pursuing withdrawal from SAD 27, but isn’t sure if there is time to complete the process this year.

A $1.2 million increase in state valuation for the plantation because of rising shoreland values around St. Froid is expected to raise education costs, Nadeau said.

“We need some industry in our area to keep our young people here,” said Nadeau. “With them all leaving, there is no new construction and it is causing a hardship on schools and property taxpayers.”

The population has steadily dropped to the current 180 residents living next to the town of Eagle Lake.

The approval of the 17-article warrant without controversy is a vote of confidence for the three-member Board of Selectmen, Nadeau said.

He presented Nolan Fournier, an outgoing selectman, with a plaque featuring a clock on it in recognition of his 15 years of service to the town. Fournier did not run for re-election this year and candidate Mark Berube was elected to fill his seat on the board for a three-year term.

James Fecondo was named to the other selectman term.

Incumbents Patsy Crane, town clerk and tax collector, and Rena Beaulieu, treasurer, were re-elected to one-year terms in their offices.

New Canada

The $67,029 municipal budget approved at Wednesday’s town meeting was $400 less than last year.

“We had $6,236 from the sale of tax-acquired property after the costs were all deducted, and we transferred $3,763 from surplus to all go into the capital improvement fund,” said Rodney Pelletier, treasurer.

The town plans to apply for a grant to build a community center and the $10,000 raised for the capital-improvement fund would be the town’s share of the commitment.

Pelletier said the community was left without a place to meet after the Holy Family Church building that also housed the parish hall was torn down last fall. They now travel to the next town of Wallagrass to hold public meetings.

School costs will determine whether the tax rate of $12.50 per $1,000 in property valuation goes up, said Pelletier.

“It will be very, very close,” he said. “I budgeted 17 percent more, but if it goes higher, we haven’t had that much new construction [to increase the tax base], it may go higher.”

Sufficient balances in the workers and unemployment compensation accounts enabled town officials to bypass appropriations to those accounts in this budget. They also were able to wait until next year to raise funds to update tax maps in the two-year cycle.

The budget included a 16 percent increase to a total of $12,065 for the county assessment.

“We would like to attract business,” Pelletier said. “Hopefully, people would build here. We are only eight miles from downtown Fort Kent. We have two convenience stores, an auto repair garage, a sawmill and a lot of farms.”

Revenues are derived from property and excise taxes, tree-growth fees, state road aid and homestead exemptions.

Property taxpayers will have to raise $156,494 to pay for the town budget, education and county taxes.

– Compiled by Gloria Flannery