KINGFIELD — The recent Kingfield Select Board meeting on June 3 featured candid discussions on property valuations and community aesthetics, with MSAD 58 director Mary Nodine highlighting the town’s challenges.

Nodine’s remarks delved into the issue of property valuations and the need for fairness. “Our valuations are largely driven by non-residents,” Nodine noted, citing data indicating that 45% of properties are owned by non-full-time residents. “The challenge we have is how to capture the value of that demand for the benefit of our residents,” Nodine said. She proposed potential adjustments to taxation, such as a short-term rental tax or a tax discount for long-term residents to address this imbalance.

“I have some thoughts on property valuations, I am aware of the challenges of the budget,” Nodine said. “I want to talk about what we can do as a town.” She said Kingfield has a short-term rental tax, but some type of tax discount would be more impactful.  She said changing the taxes in this way would have an immediate impact on property value challenges and inequities and shift the tax burden but over time.

Chair Wade Browne echoed Nodine’s concerns, particularly regarding tuition fees for out-of-town students. “Like New Portland, the kids are coming from away to school here, why aren’t they being charged what Kingfield is being charged?” Browne questioned, highlighting discrepancies in the current system. The response was that it isn’t legal to charge the out-of-town students the same amount as Kingfield students.

Browne used the need for an ambulance to be shared amongst multiple towns as an example of how the school budget could be approached. He said, “Even with Northstar, they had to come up with a new formula for each town to determine the cost for an ambulance; based on valuation, population and distance from the hospital.” He said that is a way for everyone to pay their fair share.

“I can see why people want to shift the burden out of Kingfield; like we are carrying the district,” Nodine said. “For one thing, I don’t see the school board voting for that. How can we make this more sustainable?”

Next on the agenda was a debate regarding the fate of children’s artwork on town planters. Selectperson Kim Jordan acknowledged the community’s disappointment over the removal of murals without proper authorization. “I got a lot of phone calls,” she said. “People are upset they were painted over. That is a misuse of town property.”

Polly MacMichael, who initiated the painting project, expressed regret over the misunderstanding, clarifying her intention to enhance the town’s aesthetics. “I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong,” MacMichael said. She said she asked the Village Enhancement Committee if she could paint them and take care of them, emphasizing the need for better communication and coordination. “Unfortunately, that is not how it was translated to us,” Jordan noted.

MacMichael said the locations of the planters will be scattered downtown. She said they will be placed wherever they look best, where people want them, and where the caring and maintaining of them can be easily accessible.

When asked how the students came to paint them, Leanna Targett, town manager, said years ago she arranged to have the students paint them after there was discussion about decorating the planters.

MacMichael pointed out there are still some planters not painted.

Browne said it all boils down to asking. He said he didn’t think it was malicious.

The school budget vote will take place on June 11 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Webster Hall. The next Select Board meeting will be held on June 17.