Town Meetings

loading...

Monticello

Residents will vote on whether to take $12,000 from surplus to replace the roof of the firehouse and spend $3,000 for new equipment for the department when they meet at 7 p.m. Monday, March 18, at the firehouse.

Municipal elections and a liquor question will be decided at the polls from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the town office. The Blue Moose Restaurant has petitioned for on-premises sales Monday through Saturday. The issue has been put to voters several times and defeated by close margins.

While four residents are seeking the two three-year selectman positions, no one took out nomination papers for the three-year term on the SAD 29 board of directors.

The selectmen seats are being sought by incumbent Michael Hogan, Richard Ross, Theodore Peterson Jr. and Donald J. Michaud.

Littleton

A proposed municipal budget featuring a 30 percent increase will be presented to voters during the annual business meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, March 18, at the Meduxnekeag Snowmobile Club.

The increase includes funds for solid waste disposal, roads, bridges and snow removal.

The town had been using surplus funds for those expenses, replaced by excise tax income. Because of inflation in the last few years, the excise tax income hadn’t replaced all the money that was taken from surplus.

“Now we need to increase taxes to avoid further depletion of the surplus,” Selectman Robert Bartlett said Monday.

Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the town office for municipal elections. Incumbents are unchallenged for the available three-year terms. They are: Barry Campbell and Robert Bartlett on the Board of Selectmen and Gregory Schools on the SAD 29 board of directors.

Mapleton

Polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday, March 18, at Mapleton Elementary School for the annual election of officers, followed immediately by the business meeting.

The proposed municipal budget reflects a $10,000 increase. Part of that sum is for increases in the costs of insurance and salaries, including a part-time staff position expanded to full-time.

Town Manager John Edgecomb said Monday he expected added tax values in building construction would hold the tax rate of $16.80 per $1,000 in property valuation at last year’s level for the municipal budget, as well as estimated costs for education and county taxes.

Incumbent Dana Packard is unopposed for the three-year term of selectman and overseer of the poor. Incumbent Gregory Clark is unopposed for the three-year term on the board of assessors. No one took out nomination papers for the three-year seat on the sewer district.

Chapman

Residents will gather at 7 p.m. Monday, March 25, at the Town Hall for the annual elections and business meeting. Approximately 30 to 50 voters will cast ballots in a separate room before the meeting starts.

Town Manager John Edgecomb said the proposed municipal budget will be down about $10,000. He arrived at that sum with an $18,000 decrease in the highway improvement account, and by using an extra $4,000 in each of the salary and insurance accounts.

Income amounts will be reduced by $5,000 in lower interest rates paid to the town for investments and the drop in excise taxes from fewer new car sales after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said Edgecomb.

The tax rate of $15.50 per $1,000 in property valuation may increase to $15.60 per $1,000 valuation for the town budget, education and county taxes, he added.

Russell Smith is challenging incumbent Milford P. Maynard for the three-year term as selectman and overseer of the poor.

Castle Hill

Polls will be open from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, followed by the town business meeting at the Grange Hall.

Town officials expect increases in accounts for salaries, and increases in the costs of insurance will raise the local budget expenses to $1,200 over last year’s costs.

That increase and estimated increases in the costs of education and county tax may boost the tax rate from $16.70 per $1,000 in property valuation to $17.20, said John Edgecomb, town manager.

Incumbent Herbert G. Condon is seeking re-election to a three-year term as selectman. No one is running for the two positions of assessor, one for one year and one for three years.

Stacyville

Residents will vote Monday, March 18, on a proposed municipal budget reduced $21,000 in the absence of special projects undertaken last year and a general reduction in expenses.

Polls will be open for annual municipal elections from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the town office. The annual business meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the VFW Hall in Sherman Station.

Mary Ann Guiggey, town manager and clerk, said she hopes the tax rate of $18.40 per $1,000 in property valuation will remain the same after bills for education and county taxes come in.

Of the $566,058 total budget last year, $394,974 was allotted to SAD 25.

The presence of Wheelabrator-Sherman energy plant and the partial reopening of Sherman Lumber Co. have increased the state valuation of the community, which pays the largest portion of the school district.

Incumbent Leon Robinson is unopposed for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen. Incumbent John Charette also is unopposed for a three-year term on the SAD 25 board of directors.

Contributed by Gloria Flannery