‘No big excitement’ expected at Swanville town meeting

SWANVILLE – For the first time in years, voters taking part in today’s municipal election will encounter a ballot without a single contested race. And tomorrow night’s town meeting doesn’t look as if it will be too lively either.

“Everything’s quiet this year,” Town Clerk Meg Stockwell said Friday. “No big excitement, no big issues and all incumbents running for re-election.”

Maybe they might consider changing the town’s name to Calmville.

Just last year the town was gripped in a spirited debate over whether to borrow $1 million to upgrade the town roads.

However, once then-Selectman Rick Marsden explained at town meeting that the annual payment on the bond would be less than the annual appropriation to repair the roads, residents overwhelmingly approved the bond issue. Some residents had tried unsuccessfully to recall Marsden from office the year before in a dispute over ditching their roads. He did not run for re-election.

Selectman Deirdre Gale said Sunday that the bonds had been issued and that the Board of Selectmen and Road Commissioner Bret Armstrong were in the process of compiling a list of roads to repair and pave. She said the board wanted assurances that the existing base on some of the town’s dirt roads was suitable for paving before committing taxpayer dollars to the project.

“We have to talk to some contractors,” said Gale.

In the race for selectman, incumbent Robert Herbest is unopposed in his quest for another three-year term. Stockwell is unopposed for re-election as town clerk and excise tax collector. Peter “Kit” Kerrigan is unopposed for re-election as treasurer and tax collector. Robert Hatch is unopposed for re-election to a five-year term on the planning board.

Gale said the town budget was “extremely” tight and that if SAD 34 and Waldo County held the line on their budgets, the town might be able to hold the line on taxes.

“I think everything is pretty much status quo,” she said. “There are not very many budget increases across the board. It looks pretty good.”

The municipal election will be held on Monday, March 7. The polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The town meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 8.