WATERFORD — Voters will be asked to elect a new selectman and approve a $1.9 million municipal budget at the annual elections and meeting Friday and Saturday, March 5-6, at the Fire Station on Valley Road.

The election for a selectman will be held Friday, March 5, from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday’s session on the 65 warrant articles kicks off at 9 a.m. at the Fire Station.

The proposed budget is nearly $80,000 less than last year.

Including the expected amount for Maine School Administration District 17 and Oxford County taxes, the total budget is $4.46 million, a 0.6 % increase over last year.

The biggest change for this year is the nearly $200,000 cut in the Road Improvements budget, which includes building, rebuilding, tarring, surfacing and resurfacing. The proposed $441,412 budget, includes no new tax money, but does include nearly $300,000 rolled over from last year, plus excise tax revenue.

The largest proposed increase is just under $34,000 in both the Highway and Bridges budget and the Winter Supplemental budget and a $39,000 increase for the Transfer Station.

Two candidates — Frank Damon IV and Jamie Toohey — are seeking to fill a vacancy on the Board of Selectmen created by the retirement of John Bell, who served three terms.

With deep roots in the community, Damon lives with his wife and two sons in the home that once belonged to his great-grandparents. He served 20 years in the Air Force and for eight years was the lead maintenance supervisor for Air Force One, the aircraft that carries the president of the United States.

“I am running for this position because I feel my experiences can be an asset to this great town,” Damon said. “My main goal is to help the town grow while preserving our small town way of living. If lucky enough to be elected to the selectman position I can ensure you the following from me; availability, open-mindedness, transparency, and fairness. ”

Toohey, married with two sons, has lived in Waterford for nearly two decades. A former teacher in the Oxford Hills School District for 14 years, Toohey is the assistant vice president at Norway Savings Bank. She previously worked at GMAC as a commercial lending analyst, where she managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio of dealerships.

She volunteers in the community as secretary of the Harrison/Waterford PTO, a committee member at the Alan Day Community Garden, and a trained facilitator with the Maine chapters of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Restorative Justice Institute of Maine.

“As a proud citizen of Waterford, I’m running to share my leadership experience in education, finance, and communication to boost our town’s overall health and well-being,” Toohey said. “This is a collective responsibility, and I’m excited to do my part.”

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