WATERFORD — Town meeting voters on Saturday approved a $1.3 million budget for 2014, accepted the care and maintenance of a cemetery and agreed to fund a property revaluation .

About 60 voters increased last year’s municipal budget by about $103,700. Selectmen Chairman Randy Lessard said the tax rate will remain flat.

Voters also approved $30,050 to update property valuations in preparation for the 2015 town-wide revaluation.

Lessard told voters it is time to reassess structures that are valued from 40 percent to 100 percent of their real value. Land values will not be part of revaluation because their assessment is on target, Lessard said.

In other action, voters accepted ownership and maintenance of the 2½-acre Woodlawn Cemetery on Five Kezars Road, about half a mile past the North Waterford Congregational Church, making it the fourth town-operated cemetery in town.

Association members said they were having a hard time getting new people to continue to run the cemetery.

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Voters deviated from town officials’ recommendations when they approved $950 more than budgeted to add money to help REACH (the rape, education and crisis organization) and the Sweden Food Pantry. 

The Finance Committee had recommended no funding for REACH after someone in the organization was unable to provide information to the committee about what the money would be used for. A representative appeared at town meeting to explain the organization’s role in the community, and voters approved $450 be added to the overall $6,400 charitable donation budget.

The Sweden Food Pantry received $500 after a representative told voters the money is sorely needed to help feed people, including Waterford families. That action brought the total budget to $7,350.

Voters also approved $224,589 for the care of roads and bridges; $118,214 for winter road maintenance and $45,000 for the Fire Department.

They OK’d $200,000 to pave about 3½ miles of road this spring with a one-inch overlay. The roads to be paved will be determined this spring.

The municipal budget does not include payments to the Oxford Hills School District, which makes up more than half of the tax burden. Residents in the district’s eight towns will vote on a budget in June, but selectmen expect an increase of about $47,000 from last year. Waterford’s total projected budget for 2014 is $3.4 million, according to the town report.

ldixon@sunjournal.com


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