Stockholm OKs school budget despite warrant errors

STOCKHOLM – Residents agreed Thursday night to take action on the town’s school budget, even though errors were made in the posting of the warrant for the meeting and municipal elections.

It actually took longer for residents to decide to go ahead with the meeting – despite the possibility of legal ramifications – than it took to vote on the four articles approving the $482,716 school budget.

During the day, residents elected three people to municipal posts. Since the selectmen were not ready, the annual town meeting in which residents vote on municipal expenditures was postponed to 7 p.m. July 18.

In posting the warrant for the annual meeting, selectmen forgot to include articles in the warrant for the election of a moderator and adjournment of the meeting.

Several protesters also said there were names and dates missing on the warrant.

First Selectman Michael Sund said he checked with the Maine Municipal Association and was told the problems “were oversights and not worth going to court over.”

One of the problems that caused the consternation, according to Sund, was the recent changeover in the town clerk-treasurer and having someone with no experience in the job.

After 40 minutes of discussion on possible legal ramifications, only five of the 35 residents at the meeting voted to adjourn the session.

David Strainge, a school board member, said the town would not be able to pay school bills and payrolls after July 1 if a budget was not approved Thursday night.

A move to disband the session was turned down.

Residents approved the four articles for the school budget with only a few voting against the proposal. Action on the budget took only 30 minutes.

The local share of the $482,716 budget will be $120,067, compared to $110,164 in property tax money this year.

The overall budget is $13,200 lower than the present year’s budget. The higher local share is due to the lower state share.

Cuts in the state budget and lower school enrollment caused the state share to be cut by more than $24,000 for next year. There also was a cut in the state’s hardship cushion of nearly $16,000.

In elections, Greg Landeen was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen with 45 votes. David Sterris received 24 votes.

Deb Sund was elected to the school board with 48 votes. Of four others receiving votes, Rob Seidell was the closest with eight votes.

Emilie Martin was elected town clerk-treasurer with 50 votes over Connie Brown, with eight votes.