Local budget referendums and town elections will be held Tuesday in Mechanic Falls and Poland.
Minot will only vote on the Regional School Unit 16 budget because its budget was set in March.
The Mechanic Falls municipal budget for fiscal 2023-24 is $3.6 million, which represents a 8.7% increase over the current year’s budget of $3.16 million.
Taxpayers will be responsible for $1.84 million with the rest coming from state allocation, fees, excise taxes and $380,000 from the town’s General Fund balance.
Incumbent Paula Stotts is running for one of the two open seats on the Town Council. The second will be decided by a write-in.
Anthony Trussoni and Stephen Turner are vying for the single seat on the RSU 16 School Board.
Scott Penney is running unopposed for the Sanitary District.
Poland voters will decide on the $8.94 million municipal budget, which is $587,000 more than this fiscal year’s $8.3 million.
Town officials point out that the net amount to be raised from property taxes is $5.8 million, which reflects a $279,000 increase, a 5.01% increase over the current fiscal year.
State allocation, fees and excise taxes offset the $8.94 budget by $3.03 million.
Voters will also decide on an article to bond an additional $550,000 to expand the Ricker Memorial Library.
Last year, voters passed a $850,000 bond for the library’s expansion, but costs for the heating and cooling system, which has to be installed according to code, necessitated the increased cost.
Suzette B. Moulton and Maryanne A. Hawkes are running for the one three-year seat on the Select Board.
Three people are vying for two seats on the RSU 16 School Board. They are incumbents Joseph Parent and Edward Rabasco Jr. and newcomer Randy Lautz.
The RSU 16 budget of $27,398,464 will be decided in Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland.
It is an increase of $1.5 million over this fiscal year’s budget.
The budget passed in the districtwide meeting May 23.
The budget referendum will be a one-question ballot.
The measure can pass even if it fails in a particular town because approval is based on total votes from the three communities.
Total local revenue to be raised by taxes for the new budget is $12.2 million.
Poland ‘s share is 62.6%, Minot’s is 20.2%, and Mechanic Falls’ is 17.2%.
The district will apply $1.5 million from its fund balance toward the budget.
The estimated property tax increase on a $100,000 home in Poland would be $60 and $63.93 in Minot.
No figures were available for Mechanic Falls because of an ongoing property revaluation.
Polls in all three towns will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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