About 70 residents approved a $2.9 million municipal budget at Otisfield’s annual town meeting June 27, increasing spending by more than 21% over the current fiscal year’s $2.6 million plan.

A jump in contractual services — from $87,720 to $169,461 — is from audits that have not been completed over the past four years and will be done by a new provider.

The 104% increase caused one resident enough concern that he addressed the board on the issue: “Can we skip an audit?” he asked. “Can we amend this?”

Select Board Vice Chair Rick Micklon explained audits need to be done to ensure transparency, but the previously contracted firm proved to be unqualified. When the town put the project out to bid only one company responded with a bid, which the board accepted.

Board Chair Hal Ferguson said towns are required to complete audits by state statute so declining to fund them is not the answer. He also explained that to qualify for grants and loans funding agencies and organizations must have access to audited financial information.

The resident put forth a motion to amend anyway, which was soundly defeated. The original proposed $169,461 was approved.

Debt service will also steeply increase in 2027 due to payments for the new fire truck. Voters approved its purchase two years ago. In 2026, fire truck debt service accounted for $16,875; in 2027 it will be $62,348. A $27,577 payment for the Pleasant Lake dam will be the last for that debt. There are five years left of the town garage bond ($27,161 to be paid next year) and two for a squad truck ($17,571 in the coming year).

When discussion began for the final article — to appropriate nonproperty revenues toward property tax reduction — one resident went to the mic to take leaders to task over higher expenses and asserted that town spending decisions are being made with no consideration of the impact to taxpayers.

“We have rubber-stamped (this budget),” he said. “This is not a normal year. I am facing a gigantic tax increase, but I’m retired and on a fixed income. I’m disappointed … it’s taken 20 years to do revaluations?”

Residents were also presented with updates to Otisfield’s building ordinance, definitional ordinance, shoreland zoning ordinance and floodplain management ordinance.

Code Enforcement Officer Kate Matthews explained to residents that she has made a concerted effort to obtain updated language from all state agencies with local ordinance oversight because Otisfield’s codes have not been updated in several years. 

Approving the ordinance articles would bring all the town codes into compliance with state law. All four articles easily passed.

Before the meeting began, Ferguson presented a plaque to honor Micklon, who attended his final annual town meeting as a selectman. Ferguson touched on Micklon’s years of contributions to the planning board; supervising renovations to Otisfield’s community hall and municipal building; construction of its public works garage and the community’s recreation fields at the town office; as well as serving as code enforcement officer.

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