Town meetings set in The County

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BRIDGEWATER – Residents will vote on three municipal seats, including one contested race, when the town holds its annual elections and town meeting Monday, March 20, according to Bridgewater Town Manager Amanda Dow.

There are two three-year terms up for vote on the Board Of Selectmen, Dow said Thursday. In a contested race, Adrian Boyce, Edgar Wheeler and Allison Lenentine are seeking seats.

Townspeople also will vote on a three-year term to the school board. Terri Allen is running unopposed for the seat.

During the town meeting, residents will vote on the 2006 budget, which stands at $194,056. The budget is up about $7,012 or 3.75 percent from last year. Dow said major costs in the budget include allocations of $2,000 for the recreation department and $1,700 for the Bridgewater library. She said town officials made a decision to develop those two aspects of the community. Other budget inflators include energy costs, insurance, cost-of-living increases and expenses for street lights and the fire department.

The budget increase is up significantly from last year. In 2005, the budget was up about $2,700 or 1.5 percent from 2004. Dow said, however, that she did not expect much controversy at the annual town meeting because a large part of the increase is because of money being set aside for the recreation department and library.

The election polls will be open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Bridgewater Town Office. The annual town meeting will be held that night at 7 p.m. at the old Town Hall across from the Bridgewater Post Office.

CASTLE HILL – In a hotly contested race, four local residents are running for two open seats on the Board of Selectmen during the annual elections and town meeting Tuesday, March 21, according to Town Manager John Edgecomb.

Herman G. Condon, Beverly D. Lovely, Rowell A. McHatten and Robert A. Vigue, the only incumbent, are seeking the two available three-year terms, Edgecomb said Wednesday.

In an uncontested race, Maylen C. Kenney is running for a three-year term as assessor.

During the annual town meeting, Edgecomb said voters will decide whether to pass a municipal budget of $220,811, a $4,961 or 2.2 percent increase from last year. The town manager said the revenue side of the budget, $199,026, is also up about $4,047. That leaves about $196,134 to be raised in taxes.

Edgecomb said the major cost driver for the budget is a revaluation that is being done on and paid for by the towns of Castle Hill, Chapman and Mapleton. He said other than that major cost, voters are looking at a status quo budget.

The town’s election polls will be open from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Castle Hill Grange Hall. The annual town meeting will be held immediately after the election.

CHAPMAN – Local residents will be voting on just one uncontested race and consider passage of a $287,572 budget during their annual elections and town meeting Monday, March 27, according to Chapman Town Manager John Edgecomb.

Incumbent David H. Cambridge is running unopposed for the only available three-year term on the Board of Selectmen, Edgecomb said on Wednesday.

Residents will also review the 2006 municipal budget, which is up $4,106 or 1.4 percent from last year. Edgecomb said the revenue side also is up, about 2.2 percent; it stands at $259,118 and was at $253,459 last year.

That leaves about $28,454 to be raised in taxes, which is actually down about $1,553 from last year, the town manager said.

The annual town meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the Chapman Town Hall on Town Hall Road. Elections will be done from the floor.

MAPLETON – With an in-house revaluation under way, residents have a higher budget increase than normal to consider during their annual town meeting on Monday, March 20, according to Town Manager John Edgecomb.

The municipal budget is at $767,011, about $38,348 or 5 percent more than last year, Edgecomb said on Wednesday.

Revenue is at $603,145, leaving a net of $163,866 to be raised through taxes.

“The primary reason for the additional expenses is the revaluation,” Edgecomb said. “We’ve had a lot of growth this year, even though the budget is up, and had we not had a revaluation, most people would have seen approximately the same tax bill they received last year.”

Edgecomb said the town saw 19 new homes built last year, making three consecutive banner years in home construction.

“It’s about twice what we normally see,” he said.

On the election side, Edgecomb said six municipal seats will be voted on.

Shawn R. Doyen, Eugene E. Gough and Joseph F. Powers are seeking one open one-year term to the Board of Selectmen. Barry A. Buck and Bonnie L. Steeves are running unopposed to two three-year terms to the board.

Keith E. Doyen is seeking a three-year term as an assessor. Robert A. Bagley is seeking a three-year term as a sewer district trustee. Jennifer S. Farley is seeking a three-year term as a trustee.

Election polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday at the Mapleton Elementary School cafeteria. The annual town meeting will be held at 8 p.m. in the cafeteria.

MARS HILL – Residents will vote Monday, March 20, on eight uncontested municipal seats when officials hold their annual election, Town Manager Ray Mersereau said on Wednesday.

Incumbent Penny E. Rideout and Wade S. McCrum are seeking the two open three-year terms on the town council.

Incumbents Donna J. Chasse and Harold A. Decker are running for two three-year terms on the library board of trustees. Incumbent Joan J. Ricker is running for a two-year term on the library board.

Incumbent Larry J. Fletcher is running for a three-year term as a Mars Hill Utility District trustee.

Incumbents Maurice D. McCrum and Perrin A. Todd are running for two three-year terms to the SAD 42 board of directors.

Election polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at the town office. After officials announce the results of the election, the Mars Hill Town Council will host its first meeting with new councilors taking their seats.

WASHBURN – Local residents will vote on five municipal seats and consider a $1,187,914 budget during their annual elections and town meeting next week, according to Washburn Town Manager Andrea Powers.

Powers said on Wednesday three three-year terms are open on the school board. Incumbents Jennifer Olson and Andrew Churchill are running unopposed for the seats. Noreen MacIntosh is seeking the third seat.

On the Town Council, incumbents Mike Umphrey and Kermit Fuller are running unopposed for two three-year terms.

Election polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, March 20, at the Washburn Civic Center, which is located next to the town office on Main Street.

As for the budget, Powers said the 2006 document was up slightly in order to maintain the town’s current level of services. She said driving factors this year were insurance, a 3 percent cost of living increase, costs associated with a new sewer system and the cost of materials to maintain roads, which has gone up significantly.

“[The budget] includes our needs to function as a community and proactive plan for the future as well,” she said.

The budget will be put forth to the public at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Washburn District High School.

WESTFIELD – While there are two municipal seats up for a vote and the 2006 budget to consider, town officials believe the annual town meeting Monday, March 27, will draw a crowd this year because of an article asking whether residents want to make a certain town position elected instead of appointed.

Richard Watson, Westfield’s first selectman, said Thursday the town plans to host its annual town meeting at the Shrine Club building in Presque Isle because a much larger crowd than normal is expected because of Article 3 on the warrant.

The article asks voters whether they “will vote to change the position of town clerk, tax collector and treasurer of the town of Westfield from an appointed position to an elected position effective at the 2007 annual town meeting.”

Watson said the article was added to the warrant after local residents circulated a petition on the matter. That action was spurred by the closing of the town office earlier this year without an explanation by town officials. Officials have said they cannot divulge any details right now because it is a personnel matter.

If the article is approved, it would place the selection process of hiring a town clerk in the hands of the residents instead of the Board of Selectmen.

During the annual town meeting, residents also will vote on two municipal seats. Nominations will be made from the floor for a three-year term for first selectman and a one-year term for third selectman.

The meeting also will include a discussion of the budget, which Watson said was up about 2.75 percent from last year. With about $182,000 in revenues, that leaves a taxable commitment of about $357,300, up about 3.3 percent from last year’s commitment. However, Watson said that because of a revaluation, the mill rate actually will be down, though he did not “know what that number is yet.”

Westfield’s annual town meeting and election will be held at 7 p.m. March 27 at the Shrine Club on Route 1 in Presque Isle.