FAYETTE — Like many towns its size across Maine, Fayette is struggling to balance a need for town services with a need to limit property taxes to allow residents to be able to continue living in the community. And, like other Maine communities, the town is also wrestling with how to best maintain and preserve its roads at an affordable cost to residents.

At a public hearing on May 4, road concerns dominated the discussion of Fayette’s budget. As of the hearing, the town’s municipal budget for 2015-16 was projected at $883,231, a $118,000 decrease from last year, and the Kennebec County budget costs were $153,660, a $15,486 decrease from last year. The budget as presented did not include any overlay.

Town Manager Mark Robinson noted that in 2010, the town took out a $600,000 bond to address 10 miles of road repairs. When the bond was taken out, asphalt was at a favorable price. As the work progressed, the price climbed and the town wasn’t able to get as much done on the road as originally anticipated.

Robinson said that just to do a shim and overlay on the Fayette section of the Sandy River Road, it would cost the town $250,000.

“When we talk about pavement, those are the kinds of costs we have to get our heads around,” he said.

The town only put in $38,340 in asphalt/chip seal money in the road budget in anticipation of taking out a bond for road paving projects. Robinson noted that the amount represents the share the town receives from the state for road work.

A separate article asks voters to approve a $984,000 bond for six years, with $384,000 of that amount used to refinance the 2010 road bond. The interest on the bond is $56,480.

“If we bond, we can keep that annual operating cost lower,” said selectman Jon Beekman.

Robinson warned against the town ignoring roads that are merely problematic now, that the longer the town puts off maintenance on them, the more costly it will be in the long run.

Resident Wes Taylor pointed out that it might be more feasible for the town to finance one year at a time. Chairman Berndt Graf explained that if the town did this, interest rates rates might not be as favorable as they are now.

“That’s quite a bit of money to be spending in one shot,” Taylor said.

However, selectman Joseph Young said that the money would only be spent as the town needed it. Robinson said that if the town can’t raise money through the bond and fix a lot of roads at once, it should have at least $200,000 in that road account.

“It’s a tough decision when a mil is $160,000,” said Robinson.

If the town fails to act now, somewhere down the road, “you’re going to have to fix a lot of roads at once,” said Graf.

“I’d like to point out that when you buy a property in Fayette, you’re making an investment in the town,” said Young. “If your property is sitting on a dirt road versus a tar road, it makes a difference.”

Another article asks if the town will vote to authorize the purchase of a new plow truck and plow equipment, body/sander and chassis and enter into a seven-year financial note for $28,000 per year beginning in 2016-17 to do this. The total authorized expense, if approved, would be $180,000 minus the trade in value of the road department’s 2004 and 1995 trucks and a Swenson Sander.

Other proposed 2015-16 budget amounts include $289,311 for general government ($285,395 in 2014-15); $85,940 for public safety ($84,829 in 2014-15); $92,817 for municipal debt service ($117,016 in 2014-15); and $36,000 for solid waste ($36,000 in 2014-15).

This year’s school budget is $1,622,095, versus the $1,618,557 approved at last year’s town meeting. However, the selectmen pointed out that the reason this year’s school budget is higher is because less was taken out of surplus to reduce the tax burden.

The annual town meeting takes place June 13 at Fayette Central School at 9 a.m. Voting for town officials is on Tuesday, June 9 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Starling Hall.

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