DIXFIELD — The proposed 2022-23 municipal budget is $2,476,320, a slight decrease from $2.53 million in 2021-22, according to new Town Manager Alicia Conn.

Conn, who was named interim town manager on Nov. 22 and permanent town manager on Jan. 10, says she feels good about the proposed budget. She has been working in the Town Office since March 1, 2021.

“I’m glad we’ve been able to pretty much hold steady,” she said. “I haven’t spoken to the assessors yet, but I’m not anticipating an increase.”

She said one factor in the decrease is that there are no expected large capital purchases.

Last year, the town transferred up to $70,000 from the Public Works Equipment Reserve and up to $100,000 from the undesignated general fund balance for paving and funding for a new plow truck, a 2022 International Harvester HV507 truck with plow gear for $170,000.

The town is still waiting to take delivery of that truck.

“They keep pushing it back. We’re really hoping to have that for this winter. Our last estimate was October,” said Conn.

The town also secured a loan to purchase a pumper truck for the fire department, with the final payment to be made in 2023, she added. For this year’s budget, Conn said the town incorporated the East Dixfield Fire Department into their fire department truck reserve.

“This kind of prepares us for the a fire truck down there, expected sometime over the next couple of years,” she said. “We haven’t set a timeline yet.”

As to road work, she noted the town has not done much for the past few years because of money it is putting into the water project to take place on Beedy Brook, Bradley Street and Blayne Street.

Conn said the town wants to get going on that project this fall if the material comes in on time. That project is being funded through a municipal bank loan and the state is forgiving a large portion of it.

“We are funding the remaining with a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act funds the town received, as well as a smaller portion of the loan that will be paid by rate users. We tried to lessen the impact by securing other sources of funding, and we’re lucky we secured it at such a low rate. We’re looking at 1 percent interest over the next 30 years,” she said.

Conn said the town is going to seek rate increases for both water and sewer. “They’re long overdue at this point. The last rate increase was 2018. That process will get underway over the next couple of months, which will include public hearings.”

She said rate increases are needed to provide maintenance for the service and to keep it functioning.

“We’ve kind of been piggybacking off from water for several years now. It’s time that sewer gets to stand on its own,” Conn said.

She said her biggest concern is the Hall Hill pumping station, which covers anyone in town who is connected to the sewer system.

“It’s the schools, it’s us, all the Main Street area,” Conn said. “Doesn’t cover the further outreaches.”

The town’s only pump station is the connector from their service to the Mexico-Rumford waste treatment plant, she said.

“If it were to fail, which is imminent if nothing is done, it would be a very costly manual process to carry the waste over, and then to go in and make those repairs,” she said.

Conn added there’s been very little maintenance done there. “Most of the equipment in there is original to the structure from 42 years ago. Besides being outdated, finding parts for it are very difficult to locate. We’re running on fumes.”

The town recently had an engineer update a report that was made in 2015, she said. Cost estimates represent about a $300,000 increase in the project due to time and deterioration, and the cost of materials, making the total budget cost $643,000.
The town is in the process of applying for grants.

Conn said the availability of funding is pretty good currently. “From now over the next four years, if you have any large water or infrastructure projects, this is the time to try to lock down those funds.”

And if the pumping station should fail?

“The backup plan is that we have Vortex come in and manually truck out the waste and then make any repairs needed. But it’s very costly to do that on a one-day basis, let alone longer term. It would well exceed the reserves,” Conn said.

Conn hopes to secure grant funds to cover 80% of the project, so that “we’ll have a much smaller amount to pass on to users. We understand it’s already difficult for some people to make those payments. But it does need to be done in order to keep the service running.

“If we’re able to secure the funding … we would be able to start in the spring and summer of ’23,” Conn said.

The ballot vote on articles 6-28 of the warrant and election of officials is June 14, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 8 River St.

Four people are running for two three-year positions for the Select Board — incumbent Ricky Davis, Clifford MacDonald, Janice Merrill and Angela Varnum.

Three people are running for two three-year positions for the Regional School Unit 56 Board of Directors — incumbent Barbara Chow, Elizabeth Kelly and Laurie Woodhead.

Town Meeting will follow on June 16 at 6 p.m. in the community room at Dirigo High School, where voters will act on warrant articles 1-5, choose town committee members, set tax dates and rate, and authorize municipal officers to dispose of town-owned property with a value of $100,000 or less.

“We’re doing the in-person meeting after the ballot vote so they will have their new board sitting,” noted Conn.

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