MECHANIC FALLS – The Town Council set the tax rate at $28 per $1,000 of valuation Monday night.

The new rate is $1 less than anticipated.

The 2003-04 rate is an increase of $1.80. Town Manager Dana Lee said the rate didn’t have to be set at $29 as previously projected because the town’s valuation came in higher than expected. He said the town has about $2.45 million in new value as opposed to past years where it was between $1.2 and $1.6 million. “What that does is it spreads the pain out,” Lee said.

In other business, new interim council member Roxanne Doyer was introduced. She lost a bid for a three-year term in the municipal election in May. Aaron White, who won election, had to resign July 22 because he is relocating out of Mechanic Falls. Doyer, who finished second in the election, will serve in the interim capacity until the next annual town meeting in May.

In another matter, the council accepted the resignations of Recreation Committee members Phil Baril and Ken Hewitt. Tim Dean and Edwin Piiranen were appointed to replace them.

Also, Doyer was appointed as council liaison to the Recreation Committee.

Thomas Verrill was reappointed as sealer of weights and measures.

Civil Constable Lucien Asselin was reappointed and David Moss was appointed to begin a first term as a civil constable.

In other business, a contract for paving Elm Street was awarded to Commercial Paving Inc., of Scarborough. The contract calls for paving sections totaling 2,800 and 3,241 linear feet for a maximum cost of $35,000.

Also, Lee told the council he is hoping that expensive environmental monitoring and testing at the town’s solid waste transfer station could be limited. The state Department of Environmental Protection could be asking for as much as $7,500 in new testing.

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