Sabattus lays off lone code enforcement officer

SABATTUS — To trim its budget before the upcoming tax commitment, Sabattus laid off its Code Enforcement Officer and moved a public works position to seasonal only, according to Town Manager Andrew Gilmore.

This spring, the town had been looking at a potential mill rate increase of more than $2, he said.

Selectmen asked Gilmore in July to bring recommendations for cuts to the board’s meeting last week and ultimately agreed to trim $75,020, another 26 cents off that increase.

Included in that $75,020:

* Moving one vacant position for a public works truck driver/laborer from full-time to full-time seasonal in winter

* Putting off the purchase of a $10,000 switch plow

* Cutting the Code Enforcement Officer position in favor of securing someone part-time by contract

Gilmore laid off Code Enforcement Officer Steve LeBrun on Friday.

“It’s always unfortunate when you have to let someone go for any reason at all,” he said. “There was just nowhere in our organization where (a budget cut) wouldn’t affect personnel.”

Lisbon’s Code Enforcement Officer will temporarily fill in, with office hours in Sabattus from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Tuesday and schedule inspections by appointment. Gilmore didn’t anticipate a backlog or delays.

The town has postponed setting a new tax rate until a school budget passes. That budget has been voted down twice and trimmed each time. If the current proposed RSU 4 budget passes public votes at the end of the month, Sabattus is looking at a $1.56 increase to the mill rate, he said.

Its current rate is $14.75.

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