Town meetings

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Addison

The annual town meeting will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, at D.W. Merritt School, 518 Indian River Road.

The election of a town selectman will take place at the meeting.

For information, contact the town office at 483-4678

Brooks

The annual town meeting will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at Morse Memorial School.

Incumbent Ben Lufkin is running unopposed for re-election for another three-year term on the Board of Selectmen. Running for three open three-year terms on the planning board are Paul Lawrence, Eric Frerking and Steve Littlefield. Jeff Archer is seeking another one-year term as fire chief.

Town Clerk Jane McLaughlin said residents also will be asked to approve a budget that is $18,000 less overall than the previous year. School and county costs are expected to increase, however, she said. “The town budget is down a little bit from last year,” she said.

Burnham

This year’s annual town meeting features a three-way race for one open seat on the Board of Selectmen.

Vaughn Pierce, Brent Chase and Bruce Cook are vying to fill the seat of Luke Goodblood who has decided to step down after serving two three-year terms on the board. Running unopposed are Carolyn Hamel for town clerk, Arlene Miles town treasurer, Roger Hoff for highway commissioner, Carleton Croft for cemetery commissioner and Barbara Basford for SAD 53 school board. Voting will take place at the Reynolds Corner Municipal Building 2-7 p.m. Friday, March 14.

The town meeting warrant and budget articles will be acted on beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 15. Hamel said the proposed budget came in lower than last year’s figure because of the selectmen’s decision to supplement the accounts with money from surplus. Voters also will be asked to allow the selectmen to hold their meetings every other Monday instead of every Monday.

Cherryfield

The annual town meeting will be held 7 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Cherryfield Elementary School, 85 School St.

Elections for town officials were held Tuesday, March 4.

Richard Fickett and David Livingston were re-elected to serve as the town’s selectmen. Alfred Moore was re-elected as the town assessor. Jeffrey Taylor was a write-in candidate for a position on the school board.

For information, contact the town office at 546-2376.

Columbia Falls

The annual town meeting will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, at the Columbia Falls Elementary School, 8 Point St.

Town municipal officials will be elected at the meeting.

For information, contact the town office at 483-4067.

Harrington

The annual town meeting will be held 7 p.m. Monday, March 10, at the Narraguagus High School, 1611 Main St.

Town municipal officials will be elected at the meeting.

For information, contact the town office at 483-2061.

Jackson

Residents attending this year’s town meeting will be asked to consider raising $110,000 to pay for road reconstruction.

Town Clerk Heather McLaughlin said that if approved, the town’s mill rate would increase from the current rate of $19.25 per $1,000 in valuation to $24.50 per $1,000. That would mean that a home valued at $50,000 that paid $962.50 in taxes last year would see their tax bill jump to $1,225 in 2008, an increase of $262.

“I expect a lot of discussion on that article,” McLaughlin said.

This will be the last town meeting for McLaughlin as town clerk as she is stepping down after having served seven years in the appointed position. Brenda Dennison has been hired to replace her.

In the municipal election, David Greeley is running for re-election to another three-year term on the Board of Selectmen, Donald Nickerson Sr. is running for fire chief, and Hazen Tibbetts is running for road commissioner.

Voters also will be asked to reduce the size of the Planning Board from seven members to five members. McLaughlin said a lack of interest in serving on the board prompted the decision to reduce its size.

“There’s a lack of volunteers to serve,” she said. “There’s always unfilled positions.”

The annual town meeting will be held at the Jackson Community Center at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 15.

Jonesport

The annual town meeting will be held 3:30 p.m. Monday, March 10, at Jonesport High School, 180 Snare Creek Lane.

Town municipal officials will be elected at the beginning of the meeting.

Articles on the warrant include a property tax levy limit and a proposed wastewater disposal district that would call for state and federal funding.

For information, contact the town office at 497-5926.

Thorndike

Plans for a new town office will be unveiled to the voters when they gather at the Central Maine Auction Hall at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 15, for the annual town meeting.

Town Clerk Kari Hunt said the present town office is in need of extensive repairs and that a committee has been formed to look into other options.

She said blueprints of the proposed building will be on display during the meeting and the Board of Selectmen will discuss the proposal with residents and take public comment. Hunt said a site for the new building has yet to be determined, as it was uncertain whether the proposal would win voter approval. Residents will act on budget items, fill three seats on the Board of Selectmen and consider a shoreland zoning ordinance.

Waldo

Residents attending this year’s annual town meeting will be asked to consider paying volunteer firefighters for their service.

The firefighters now do not receive pay, and members of the department wanted to discuss the situation with the community, according to First Selectman Kathy Littlefield.

The town meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 15, at the town office.

Littlefield indicated that she would be running for re-election to another three-year term on the Board of Selectmen. At the meeting, residents also will elect the town clerk, tax collector, excise tax collector, treasurer, fire chief and road commissioner. All the incumbents are expected to run for re-election, she said. Voters also will be asked to approve an amended shoreland zoning ordinance to bring it in line with recent changes at the state level. Littlefield said the 2008 budget would be up slightly over the previous year because of a decline in revenue from the state and smaller surplus.