MECHANIC FALLS — In addition to state primary elections, Mechanic Falls voters will be going to the polls on Tuesday to elect a councilor and three School Committee members, and to set their budget for the town’s fiscal year beginning July 1.

Voters are being asked to approve a $2.4 million budget that the Council and Budget Committee developed at a public hearing in May in accord with the town’s new method for setting the budget.

The budget, as proposed, calls for raising $1,303,776 from local property taxes. That’s almost $19,000 less than what voters approved for this fiscal year.

“None of the departments are asking for unreasonable increases; in fact most of the increases are tied to fixed costs that we have no local control over,” Town Manager John Hawley said.

The recommended budget includes 3 percent pay increases for all full-time employees and 3.5 percent increases for part-time employees. This is the first year in several that officials are recommending pay increases.

Capital improvement projects included in the recommended budget are a request for $16,000 for an office and bathroom at the town transfer station and $25,000 for the town’s contribution to construct sidewalks downtown in conjunction with the Maine Department of Transportation’s project to pave Route 121 from Hackett Mills at the Poland town line to the bridge over the Little Androscoggin in the center of Mechanic Falls.

More than $200,000 is being placed in reserve accounts for future purchases of police, fire and public works vehicles, and for repairs to municipal buildings and sidewalks.

This is the second year Mechanic Falls voters have approved their budget by a referendum vote.

This new method, which replaces the traditional town meeting, is similar to way towns across Maine are now setting their school budgets – a two-step process that begins with a meeting to discuss a proposed budget, followed by a referendum vote that either accepts or rejects the budget.

There are no contests for elective office positions.

There are two candidates on the ballot seeking election to two three-year seats on the RSU 16 School Committee: Jennifer Boenig and Melissa Hodgkin.

Jessica Smith is seeking election to a one-year term on the RSU 16 School Committee.

Nancy Richard is unopposed in seeking a second term on the Town Council.

Polls will be open Tuesday, June 12, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Municipal Building on Lewiston Street.

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