BUCKFIELD — Residents will head to the polls Tuesday for the annual Town Meeting to decide on how much to spend and who to hold offices. They will also vote on the Regional School Unit 10 budget.
The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Municipal Center.
The 47 warrant articles include the proposed $2.35 million municipal budget and elections for two selectmen and one school director. The budget is $100,000 less than what was approved for this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
This is the first time since 2019 the town is voting on the budget before the end of the previous fiscal year. In two of the past three years, the meeting was held in August, while in 2021, it was held the last week of September.
The largest reduction in the budget is in the summer roads account, which dropped by $96,000 due to fewer paving projects for the next year.
The Public Works account is $6,340 less following the installation of a waste oil furnace. Debt service dropped by $7,435 when the town made the final payment on one of the leased equipment accounts.
The only equipment being purchased is an F-550 pickup for the Public Works Department, with $16,225 due for the first payment on a five-year, $70,000 loan. The vehicle comes with a dump body, a sander and a new plow.
Voters will be asked to appropriate $250,000 from the undesignated fund balance to help lower property taxes. They will also be asked whether to continue future annual meetings by secret ballot or switch back to meeting in person.
For the Select Board, Chairman Robert Hand is running unopposed for his seat, and Michael Averill, Heather Henley and write-in candidate Peter Fickett are seeking to take the vacant seat.
For the RSU 10 director, Erin Hinkley and Jennifer Lowell are seeking to fill the seat held by Jerry Wiley, who is retiring after 51 years on the board.
The $33.26 million school budget is $2.31 million more than this fiscal year. Buckfield’s share would go up 3.38% if a majority of voters in the district towns, which include Rumford, Mexico, Roxbury, Hanover, Sumner and Hartford, pass it.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.