JAY — Selectpersons and the Budget Committee approved a proposed $5.28 million municipal budget Monday to fund government operations for 2020-21.
It will be presented to voters April 27.
Only four proposals did not receive unanimous votes.
The Budget Committee rejected a donation request for $750 in a 4-3 vote, but selectmen approved it 3-0. The line will go on the warrant as Select Board recommending a yes and the Budget Committee recommending no.
Opposed to the vote were Budget Committee Chairman Charles Reikert, Secretary Lee Ann Dalessandro, Vicki McLeod and Justin Merrill. Select Board Chairman Terry Bergeron, Vice Chairman Tim Demillo and Selectperson Gary McGrane approved the proposal.
Selectpersons voted 2-1, with McGrane opposed, to the proposed $145,600 contract for curbside collection of trash and recyclables. Budget Committee member McLeod also opposed it. It’s an increase of $21,370 from the current year. The rising minimum wage was among the reasons for increased costs, Public Works Director John Johnson previously told the board and committee.
An attempt by McGrane to add $10,352 for the Greater Franklin Development Council failed because of no second. Selectpersons agreed previously to only send letters of donation requests to civic organizations that were funded last year. The council was not funded.
McGrane said the request came from council Executive Director Charlie Woodworth. Farmington, Rangeley, Carrabassett Valley and Wilton have all put in money for a donation, McGrane said. If Franklin County had continued to fund the economic development agency, this would not need to go in to the town budget, he said. The four towns are among the higher valued towns, as is Jay.
Bergeron said he was not saying that Woodworth was not doing a good job, but he believed this should be done at the county level.
The Budget Committee’s vote on Spruce Mountain insurance request passed by a 6-1 vote. Merrill was opposed. Selectpersons approved the request unanimously.
A proposed $325,000 capital paving budget line was approved by the board 2-1 with McGrane opposed. Since the town doesn’t know what the valuation of the Pixelle Specialty Solutions paper mill was going to be because of two digesters being lost, McGrane said, he proposed the paving line be reduced to $300,000. The motion failed for lack of a second.
The town is expecting a significant decrease in the mill’s value because of the rupture of a wood pulp digester on April 15, 2020. The company also announced in December, it would not rebuild the pulp mill and permanently idle a paper machine. About 177 employees lost their job last year because of this.
The overall spending package is $12,800 less than the current budget. After factoring in an estimated $2 million in revenue, the net municipal budget would be about $3.21 million. That’s a decrease of $7,274 from this year.
The budget will go to a public hearing at 6 p.m. March 8 at the Spruce Mountain Elementary School gym. The numbers cannot be changed but voters will know what they will be voting on in April.
The plan does not include the town’s share of the Regional School Unit 73 or Franklin County budgets.
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