LIVERMORE FALLS —  Resident and former Selectman Kenny Jacques asked selectmen Monday to bring back all 12 municipal articles that failed at the polls June 12 to another vote.

That way the issues could be discussed in open forum and both selectmen and the Budget Committee could explain their reasoning for their recommendations before residents voted, he said.

Chairman Bill Demaray said Town Manager Kristal Flagg is going to check with the Maine Municipal Association to see what failed articles can legally be brought back. The consensus of the board is that they would like to bring them all back with no changes so townspeople can discuss them and vote, he said.

Selectmen will make decisions on what to bring back at their next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 2, at the Town Office.

“Voting turnout was extremely poor,” Jacques said.

He also didn’t like the yes or no recommendations being made by the Budget Committee without an explanation of why, he said. He commended the committee for putting time in on budget work.

The Budget Committee argued a couple years back to have its dollar amount recommendations be listed on the ballot but were told that only a no or yes could appear on budget to make it a clearer ballot . The committee’s dollar recommendations appear in the annual town report.

The Budget Committee recommended a nearly $2.1 million budget. The difference between the selectmen’s and the committee’s budgets was about $200,000.

About 250 people cast ballots on the proposed $2.3 million municipal budget and an $18.9 million RSU 73 budget. The latter failed to pass in a validation referendum.

“I think you’ve done an excellent job to prepare the budget,” Jacques told selectmen. “I know this town runs on a bare-bone budget.”

The proposed budget that was defeated showed an increase of $108,000, with $98,000 of the increase dedicated to capital improvements that included road culverts, a fuel pump and doors for the transfer station.

Jacques said with a $30 million loss in valuation due to a paper mill closing, the board has done a good job at keeping the tax rate stable, he said.

He went through each article that failed, including administration, which was up $6,579 to $168,381. Of  that amount, $5,000 was attributed to an increase for the newly hired animal control officer.

Jacques said he also talked to someone prior to Monday’s meeting and learned the Livermore Falls Downtown Better Group’s $1,000 donation request was shot down, because he or she did not know what the group had done for the town recently.

Jacques, a founding-member of the group, said he was not speaking on their behalf but if people looked outside they would see a lot of improvements downtown that the group was involved in. He cited the grants for improving business facades and for the new medical arts building, and putting on the annual History Night.

The Budget Committee recommended nearly a $100,000 decrease in an effort to have the town pay only employees’ health insurance and not that of dependents.

Resident and businessman Bruce Adams said he agreed with Jacques. He would also like to see all 12 articles be brought back.

dperry@sunjournal.com.

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