JAY — The Select Board and Budget Committee voted Monday to approve a proposed $21,926 for the Spruce Mountain Summer Recreation program.

The cost of the municipal program run by Livermore Falls is proposed to increase for both participants and taxpayers in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls. Voters must approve the measure in all three towns during the annual town meeting April 29.

The proposed cost is $100 per child from those towns. For Jay and Livermore Falls the proposed cost is $21,926 and for Livermore is $10,963, Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said.

Children from other towns will pay more, according to Livermore Falls Town Manager Carrie Castonguay.

The cost last year was based on an estimated 175 participants but over 200 more attended. This year, the price is based on an estimated 190 children, Castonguay said.

There are options from different social service agencies available, not run by the towns, where parents might be able to get help if they cannot afford the $100 fee, Castonguay and LaFreniere said.

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It is important that families preregister their children so the appropriate number of counselors are hired, LaFreniere said. Some people did not realize they had to preregister last year, and children were turned away, she said.

Another factor in the increase of the program is the minimum wage has risen each year over the past several years.

Last year, the cost formula was the same split of 40% for Livermore Falls and Jay and 20% for Livermore.

Jay and Livermore Falls each put in its budget $19,220 and Livermore was supposed to contribute $9,610 last year. However, Livermore selectpersons voted to put $5,000 in the budget last year, which would have put a family’s per child cost at $192.

The actual participant cost last year in Jay and Livermore Falls was $60 each and about $136 for Livermore. There was a clerical error in the program application last year making it less for Livermore participants than it should have cost.

The Jay Select Board on Monday also approved to take the money out of tax revenue. For the past two years, the town has taken its share from the reserve fund. However, with the reserve account balance at $111,548 and only $15,000 in revenues coming in each year for the leases associated with the communications tower, the majority of the Jay board and budget panel didn’t want to deplete it.

The Jay Tower/Recreation Reserve was built up in the past by selective harvesting on the over 100 acres of recreation land. With wood prices down, Budget Committee Secretary Justin Merrill said they would be depleting the fund if they continue to take more out of it annually than what goes in it on an annual basis. The Select Board has opted not to harvest the land until prices come up.

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