Voters elect Kinney, Toothaker; reject firetruck
By Donna M. Perry
Staff Writer

JAY – Voters rejected buying a fire truck Tuesday but were willing to raise $3,527 for debt service for the truck.

The other 31 articles related to the $15.5 million spending package for school and municipal operations were approved.

Only 20 percent, or 753 of the town’s 3,705 registered voters, cast ballots in the all-day referendum. Jill Gingras, a ballot clerk, said voting was slow and steady throughout the day.

“There were little bursts here and there but nothing too exciting,” Gingras said.

Voters elected former Selectman Parker Kinney to serve as second selectman in a tight 377-359 race over Stephen Gould. Selectman Ray Pineau was re-elected with 677 votes to serve another three-year term.

Townspeople voted in newcomer Timothy Toothaker as a School Committee member, ousting incumbent School Committee member Robin Roberts and defeating former committee member Sharon Neal. Toothaker received 290 votes. Roberts had 227 votes and Neal received 205 votes.

James Murphy was elected to serve as trustee of Jay Village Water District with 127 votes, and write-in candidate Ken True received five votes. Richard Ring was elected as trustee for the Jay Village Water District with 44 votes to Dennis Allison’s 13 votes.

There were 390 no votes to 345 yes votes not to buy a firetruck. Voters approved raising and appropriating $3,527 for debt service for the pumper truck by a 390-349 vote.

Other close votes in the $5.4 million municipal spending package representing a $158,000 increase over the current budget were seen in articles for donations, municipal building reserve account and summer recreation. Voters voted 422-323 to approve $42,072.25 for donations. They voted 391-344 to raise $100,000 for a municipal building reserve account. And they voted 412-320 to approve $41,850 for a summer recreation program for youth. Last year, voters rejected the program.

Voters approved all articles in the school’s $10.18 million spending plan, which represents a 3.94 percent increase, or $385,643 increase, over the current year. Residents voted 424-315, with 109 votes separating the two, to appropriate $6.27 million from the foundation allocation for school purposes and to raise the local share of $5.88 million. They also voted 409-329 to raise $2.95 million in additional local funds. Adult education passed 468-271.

Resident Raymond Carter said he liked the streamlined ballot. Voters had approved reducing the warrant articles on the annual town meeting referendum from about 80 to 32 in March after residents complained about the lengthy ballots.

“I could understand things,” Carter said after voting.

dperry@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link