STRONG – Voters will be considering a 55-article warrant at the annual town meeting on Saturday. The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Forster Memorial Building.
Elections will be held on Friday, from 1 to 6 p.m. also at Forster Memorial Building. Two selectmen, one school board member and three budget committee members are on the ballot.
Running for two, three-year term selectmen positions are residents Rodney Cook and Robert Worthley. Incumbents Joan Reed and Michael Carlton decided to not seek re-election. Barbara Worthley is running for a seat on the MSAD 58 board of directors and Lois Barker, Terry Kenniston and Eloise Stevens are running for the three open budget committee seats.
Selectmen are recommending a total municipal budget of $624,384.50, while the budget committee is recommending $603,984.50. Last year’s total municipal budget was $561,317.90, with voters reducing the tax commitment by transferring $250,000 from the town’s surplus account.
Voters will again this year will be asked to approve using $250,000 from surplus to reduce the 2015 tax commitment on municipal expenditure.
Among the panels’ differences are, selectmen recommend $62,000 be raised for the insurance account, while the budget committee recommended $52,000. Other differences include the selectmen’s recommendation of raising $58,000 for the roads and bridges account and the budget committee recommending $55,000; selectmen want to raise $78,000 for winter road maintenance, while the budget committee recommends $75,000.
The United Methodist Economic Ministry of Salem requested $2,500 from the town. Selectmen made no recommendation and the budget committee is recommending $1,500.
Among the upgrades both boards agreed on is spending $2,500 to repair the town’s salt shed and $8,000 to fix the town’s pole barn.
Voters will also be asked if the town’s property next to the park should be cleared to make way for a recreation and/or little league baseball field.
