RUMFORD — Residents will finally get to debate the merits of funding Black Mountain ski resort and the town welfare budget in about three weeks.

At Wednesday night’s special selectmen meeting, the board unanimously OK’d the warrant for a town meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27, in the Muskie Auditorium at Mountain Valley High School at 799 Hancock St. They established the polling time and place for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, in the American Legion Hall at 184 Congress St.

Articles include voting to reset the due dates for property tax collection, and determining 2010-11 funding for the General Assistance Budget and the Rumford ski hill.

Selectmen and the Finance Committee recommend $35,000 for welfare and $51,000 for Black Mountain.

At Wednesday night’s meeting, each of four selectmen present read a paragraph from the three-page warrant to enter it into public session. However, no discussion ensued.

Article 1 asks if the town will vote to reset the due date for the collection of property taxes from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15 of this year, when the first half of the property tax commitment is due and payable; with the second half due and payable on April 1, 2011, as previously approved by voters. Property taxes would be collected based on the revised date until revoked.

Voters at the annual town business meeting on June 7 agreed that taxes would be collected Oct. 1, 2010, and April 1, 2011.

However, due to the delay in finalizing a budget for 2010-2011, selectmen determined that a critical circumstance exists, requiring resetting the due dates for property tax collection.

Interest will be charged at 7 percent on all taxes unpaid after each due date, while interest of 3 percent will be paid on overpayment of taxes as approved by voters.

According to the warrant, Article 1 will be voted on at the Sept. 27 meeting, but the two budget articles will be voted at the polls on Oct. 13.

Article 2 asks if voters will raise and appropriate $35,000 for welfare.

It’s the Board of Selectmen’s third such attempt since town meeting in June, when a majority defeated the initial recommendation of $70,021. The process was repeated, albeit without having the Finance Committee make another recommendation as required by town law, and voters again defeated the selectmen’s $60,000 proposal.

On July 22, selectmen reduced their proposal to $35,000, including $23,500 for those qualifying for assistance, $1,500 for administrative costs, and $10,000 for wages.

Mexico subcontracts its welfare work to Rumford Welfare Director Thelma Giberson.

Article 3 asks if voters will raise and appropriate $51,000 for the Initiated Article Request for Black Mountain. This matter was resolved at town meeting in June when a majority voted against funding the ski hill.

However, Black Mountain officials then successfully petitioned for another vote, claiming more people voted to fund it than not fund it; they just couldn’t agree on an amount.

That revote was then challenged in court and a judge ruled that it must be addressed by having a town meeting to debate the issue, an then vote on it later at the polls.

Should the welfare budget again be defeated, selectmen and the Finance Committee would have to repeat the process until voters approve an amount, because state law requires towns to have welfare budgets.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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