Norway residents vote to restore positions, add to budget

NORWAY — Voters rebuffed major budget recommendations from the selectmen and Budget Committee, adding approximately $170,000 to the town’s proposed $3.9 million budget at annual town meeting Monday.

The action restored a full-time position in the Police Department, a full-time position in the Highway Department and created a full-time fire chief position.

Additionally, most of the about 90 voters agreed to restore $20,000 to provider agencies, and add $17,000 to the selectmen’s $225,000 proposed Norway Memorial Library budget and about $10,000 in other items during 2 1/2 hours of action on the 46-article warrant.

The move required amending the $431,078 line item for employee benefits by adding another $45,000 to pay for health insurance and other benefits of the restored and newly created full-time positions.

Unless state revenue now slated to be cut under Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed budget is restored, the town meeting action will require taxpayers to pay more. Town Manager David Holt estimated that based on Monday night’s action, taxpayers will pay an additional $50 per $100,000 valuation on their properties.

“All we can do is just wait and see what happens,” Holt said.

Selectmen had recommended voters approve a $316,296 — or 7.33 percent — cut for town services to offset the projected state revenue cuts.

The cuts were being made to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars of lost revenue, including state revenue sharing, the Homestead Exemption and personal property taxes to Norway proposed in LePage’s budget.

Holt told voters at the beginning of the meeting that if state revenue losses from the state did not occur or were not as drastic as assumed, a second town meeting could be held to restore items, including the police officer and a Highway Department position.

Despite the restoration of some budget items, others were still cut. Town Office hours are still expected to be reduced beginning July 1.

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: A long line of voters waiting to go into annual town meeting were greeted at the door of the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School by Selectmen Warren Sessions and Russ Newcomb.