PERU – It took less than an hour for approximately 40 residents to approve a budget of $619,070 -a total of $17,631 less than last year, not including school costs and state taxes.
Town Clerk Vera Parent said that the mill rate will go up slightly to between 17 and 18 mills per thousand of evaluation. The mill rate was 15.3 last year.
Parent said the mill rate will go up because the valuation of the town has gone up and the state subsidizes less. State subsidies are also down for school costs since Peru has merged with SAD 21.
The $100,000 cost for a sand-and-salt facility passed with little discussion. Bob Dolloff said he would rather see the money spent on tarred roads. Moderator Bill Gates called for a stand up vote on the article and it passed 24 to 13.
The town will keep its current fiscal year, which coincides with the calendar year. The change was requested to more closely match the town’s fiscal year with the school fiscal year, providing better school budget figures for the town’s budget.
Jim Pulsifer asked the town to vote “no” on Article 19, which asked that the town’s fiscal year be changed from Jan.1 through Dec. 31 to July 1 through June 30, effective FY 2007/2008. He said he felt the people have the right to public hearings to find out about the impact such a change would have on when their taxes would be due.
The selectman opposed the “no” vote, but Article 19 failed to pass. A “yes” vote on Article 19 would have allowed the town to get their budget together after knowing school costs.
Selectmen recommended the town raise $2,000 for the operation of the Rockemeka Grange Hall, but Pulsifer moved to have the article approved for the full $5,000. A stand-up vote was called for and the $5,000 was approved.
Rodney Jamison read a letter of protest for having referendum items rather than having all the articles on the annual town meeting warrant.
Pulsifer said selectmen should have asked voters what articles to put on the referendum.
At the close of the meeting discussion erupted over whether selectmen could change amounts in the warrant without giving the Finance Committee a chance to discuss the change. Some said they were informed by e-mail of the change.
Some members of the Finance Committee said there were two articles on which they had no discussion as a committee.
Referendum voting will be on Monday, March 20, at Rockemeka Grange Hall.
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