JAY — Residents will consider a proposed $5.5 million municipal budget and elect a selectperson, school directors and water district trustees at the polls April 26 at Spruce Mountain Middle School. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There are 39 articles on the annual warrant, including electing a moderator.

Voters will elect a selectperson to a three-year term. Incumbent Lee Ann Dalessandro is being challenged by Budget Committee member Esther O’Brien Nolin.

For the Regional School Unit 73 board of directors, Chantelle Woodcock is seeking to finish the two years left when Michael Morrell resigned last year.

J. Lynn Ouellette is seeking re-election as a director. No one returned papers for an another  three-year term on the board.

No one submitted nomination papers for a three-year term on each of the North Jay Water District and Jay Village Water District boards of trustees. Only residents served by each district vote. The districts are separate entities from the town.

Voters will consider a Fire Rescue Department budget of $301,139. It includes $32,239 for a per diem firefighter to be at the station from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. five days a week.

Another article asks for a $9,000 in-kind contribution for labor and equipment to the Hollandstrong Tennis Courts project next to the Spruce Mountain Elementary School. Voters approved $45,000 for the courts on April 7 at the RSU 73 budget meeting to be split among Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls. The article will not be included in the final RSU 73 budget vote April 26.

The overall municipal budget for 2022-23 is $216,159 more than this year. After factoring in revenues it will be about $79,165 less than this year’s budget. It does not include the town’s share of RSU 73 and Franklin County budgets.

Another article is to see if the town will vote to deposit all revenues generated by the telecommunications tower lease and any timber harvesting of the Jay Recreation Area parcel into the Tower Fund Reserve Account. It would also authorize the Select Board to appropriate reserve account funds for recreational purposes in amounts it deems to be in the best interest of the town.

The town has put in money from harvesting the recreation lot behind the high school in the past.

Also contributing to the account is the monthly lease payment for the communications tower of  $1,249.41. There was about $158,o36 in the reserve account, Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said in February.

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