MECHANIC FALLS — The Town Council on Monday set the tax rate at $18.65 per $1,000 of property valuation, an increase of $1.10 over the current rate.

Town Manager John Hawley presented council members with a range of possible rates, all of which called for an increase.

Council Chairman Dan Blanchard noted that the increase was the first in a number of years.

Hawley pointed out that spending on the municipal side of the budget — as approved by townspeople — was actually down $19,000 for the year and the increase is attributable to the RSU 16 assessment.

“I had thought we could cover the increase coming from the school side of the budget, but such was not the case,” Hawley said.

In other business, the council took no action following a public hearing on a proposed consumer fireworks ordinance.

Hawley noted that last fall, when it appeared fireworks were going to become legal by state law, the council adopted a wait-and-see attitude on whether the town should adopt more restrictive regulations than the state.

Calls started coming in by mid-June — particularly from residents of the more densely built-up parts of town — complaining of the insensitivity of people who apparently felt every night was an occasion for celebration, he said.

While most of the more than 60 residents who turned out for the hearing favored setting some restrictions on when and where fireworks could be used, there were a fair percentage who opted for an outright ban of fireworks and an equal number who believed the restrictions established by state law were sufficient.

The council also tabled action on a proposed voluntary toll road policy.

The policy would have established rules for nonprofit organizations that wanted to raise money by conducting voluntary toll collections.

In other action, the council, upon learning that Terri Arsenault has resigned her position of the RSU 16 school board, asked for people interested in serving for the remainder of Arsenault’s term to contact Hawley at the Town Office in the next few weeks.

The council intends to name a replacement at its September meeting.

In June, Arsenault was charged with stealing from her former employer, John F. Murphy Group Homes. In her resignation letter, Arsenault said the charge “will not only distract from the work of the school but keep me busy as well. I am innocent of this charge and plan to put all of my time and energy into defending against this.”

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