Phillips talks interest rates and closed articles at annual town meeting

PHILLIPS – Residents elected new school board directors, approved a mostly-unaltered town warrant and debated the merits of open versus closed articles at the annual town meeting Thursday.

Approximately 50 or so residents voted in incumbent Selectman Ray Gaudette for another three-year term, after giving Evelyn Wilbur the nod to serve another year as town clerk. While the warrant only listed two open positions for the MSAD 58 school board, a third position, that of Director Sharon Dudley, recently became available. Phillips was able to address all three vacancies due to their election system, which nominates candidates from the floor rather than requiring them to take out nomination papers.

Karen Campbell, an incumbent director, was reelected to the three-year term. Newcomers to the board Jessica Cain and Rebecca Garlick were elected to the two- and one-year terms, respectively. All races were uncontested.

Town officials began the meeting by recognizing Ward Bredeau, who is stepping down as road commissioner. Bredeau, who served in the capacity from 2012 into 2017, had worked hard to make the Public Works Department what it was today, Selectman Chair Lincoln Haines said. Haines presented Bredeau with a plaque and led a round of applause for the outgoing commissioner.

Residents took approximately two hours to move through the 49 articles, approving most after asking a clarifying question or two. The $1,322,452 budget approved represented an increase of a little more than $8,000 compared to the current fiscal year’s assessment, not accounting for MSAD 58 or county taxes, or one half of a percent. Minor changes approved by residents included a decrease from $5,410 to $4,940 for the care of local parks, in what Haines chalked up to a clerical error, as well as a $2,000 increase in the appropriation into the Veterans Grave Stone Repair reserve, going from $1,000 to $3,000 and resulting in a total reserve of $6,000.

The latter alteration was the result of discussion about the state of the cemetery on Dodge Road, with some residents noting that some stones had toppled over. Paul Gardiner, who serves as the cemetery’s sexton, said that the $14,660 cemetery budget included funds for mowing and general upkeep, not fixing tombstones.

“I do what I can do,” he said, “but I can’t fix stones.” More money would be required to employ a mason to reconstruct the old stones, he said, – some of them dating back to the late 1800s.

Residents decided to increase the annual contribution to the veteran gravestone repair fund. Selectmen said they were researching the apparently now-defunct Cemetery Association and determining the best course of action.

An attempt to modify one of the Maine town meeting mainstays, the setting of the interest rate on late tax payments, was defeated by a hand vote. While the warrant proposed a 7 percent interest rate, both the highest allowable by the state and the one most typically used by Maine towns, some residents advocated for a lesser rate, saying that it represented an additional penalty on top of already high taxes. Other residents, however, pointed out that the rate was important to incentivize prompt payment, which in turn allowed the town to avoid taking out a tax anticipation note. An amendment to adjust the rate down to 3 percent was defeated.

One of the more significant debates revolved around the use of closed articles for a section of the warrant dedicated to outside agencies. Supporters of the Phillips Historical Society had requested $5,000, rather than the typical $3,500, due to infrastructural needs which included a non-functional furnace, oil tank not up to code and a chimney that needed to be lined. The budget committee and selectmen recommended $3,500, and that number appeared in the warrant article: “To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $3,500 for the Phillips Historical Society for the fiscal year 2017-18.”

While historical society members argued that the PHS was important to protect the town’s history, Selectman David Vincent, himself a member and donor, said that while it was a “good and worthy cause,” the society was used by only some residents, and he felt it was unfair that the entire town be responsible for paying for it.

When a resident attempted to amend the article to $5,000, moderator Mike Ellis pointed out that such a motion was out of order; closed articles citing a specific dollar figure may be lowered, but not increased at town meeting. Haines argued in favor of the closed articles, saying that they served as a hedge against a number of agency supporters turning out and dramatically raising an expenditure. Supporters of open articles said that residents should have the opportunity to set each article, not just the town department articles (which were mostly open, i.e. “To see what sum of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for General Administration …” etc.)

“It seems to me that at a town meeting such as this, voters should have the opportunity to raise or lower the amount recommended by the budget committee,” resident Richard Matthews said.

Residents approved Article 29, which asked for the town’s authorization to have the selectmen enter into a five-year lease/purchase agreement to update the Phillips Fire Department’s self-contained breathing apparatus gear at the approximate cost of $85,001, without comment or question.

Approximately $2,000 worth of donation requests from American Red Cross, Safe Voices, Lifeflight and Maine Public were all rejected for funding.