Leeds town officials expect the tax rate to increase about 2.25 to 2.5 mills.
By Seth Golden
Special to the Sun Journal

LEEDS – At town meeting Saturday, residents decided to keep having future town meetings in June and also to purchase a new highway department truck.

Sixty-eight of the town’s 1,457 registered voters turned out for the meeting. That marks a 4.7 percent turnout.

The meeting lasted 4 hours and 10 minutes.

The current tax rate of $17.65 per $1,000 of valuation is expected to increase. If all articles passed, town officials said, they expected the mill rate to rise approximately 2.25 to 2.5 mills.

Voters approved one warrant article asking voters to raise a sum not to exceed $44,000 for a new one-ton highway department truck.

Residents passed another warrant article asking voters to raise a sum not to exceed $12,000 for paving of the parking lot and driveway of the new town office. The parking lot will have approximately 40 parking spots once completed.

Voters also delayed deciding the fate of the old town house. Prior to town meeting people had talked about keeping the building in its current location and allowing the Leeds Historical Society to use it; or moving the building to an as yet undetermined location for the society to use; or just tearing down the building.

But at town meeting on Saturday voters decided to form an “Old Town House Committee” to research and come back to the town with a proposal for the best use of the old building.

“Haste makes waste,” resident Pat Flewelling said, citing an old adage. “I think we need more time.”

An amendment made by Bruce Bell to Flewelling’s motion to form a committee tacked on a “requirement that the committee must” include in its proposal “a recommendation either moving the (old) building, or making the existing lot suitable for uses of both the new town office and the old town house.”

Bruce Bell, an alternate member on the planning board, said that if the old town house gets occupied its current lot needs to be made larger and, among other things, also moved back from Route 106 in order to conform to zoning code.

Some, like Flewelling, said they wanted to study the issue more, and others said they wanted to get rid of the old town house.

“I think there are good arguments for both sides,” said resident Ian B. Ormon.

Voters assented to another article asking residents to vote to hold town meetings on the first Saturday in June beginning in 2004.

At a special town meeting last winter, residents voted to move the date of town meeting to the last Saturday in March effective 2004.

But at that time, selectmen stated their opposition to the move of town meeting. Having the meeting in June makes it easier for the town to prepare its budget, Selectman Abe Additon said on Saturday.

But resident Nat Bell took issue with continuing to have future town meetings in June. At last winter’s special town meeting, the date of town meeting got changed to March because that’s what the people wanted, Nat Bell said.

“Now, apparently, we want to undo that,” Nat Bell added. Last winter, Nat Bell and others argued at the special town meeting that having town meeting in March would increase turnout.

Issues determine turnout, not the month town meeting is held, Additon said on Saturday.

Election results

Incumbent Abe Additon netted 40 votes to win re-election for a three-year term on the board of selectmen. Incumbent Glenn Holt hauled in 42 votes to win re-election for a one-year term as fire chief. Incumbent Robert Addison Jr. garnered 34 votes to win re-election for a one-year term as road commissioner.

All those candidates ran unopposed.

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