Friendship adopts land use ordinance

FRIENDSHIP – Town voters on Monday adopted the town’s first land use ordinance and also elected town officers.

The adoption of the town ordinance was passed by a 76-51 vote at the polls, according to Town Clerk Joel Fearn on Wednesday.

At Tuesday’s business meeting, townspeople also approved all of the budget items presented with the exception of one, Fearn said.

Voters amended a request for $1,100 for the Eastern Maine Chapter of the American Red Cross to $1,000 and for the money to go to the Rockland chapter, Fearn said.

The result of the voter approval is a $529,602 municipal budget, which reflects a 3.7 percent increase. The amount to be raised by property taxes, at $189,702, is down by almost 3 percent.

The town is using $340,000 in revenues this year to reduce the amount needed through property taxes.

The current tax rate is $12.70 per $1,000 of assessed property values.

The town’s share of SAD 40 and Knox County taxes is not yet known.

The following people were re-elected at the polls, all for three-year terms: Selectman Arthur “Bubba” Thompson, Assessor John Flood, Town Clerk Joel Fearn, and Road Commissioner Kyle Martin. There were no vacant positions for the SAD 40 board of directors.