NORWAY – The Board of Selectmen on Thursday night joined scores of other towns and cities across the state in signing a resolution opposing Gov. Paul LePage’s plan to eliminate municipal revenue sharing,
“Sounds good to me. At least they may hear our voice,” said Selectman Warren Sessions who made the motion to sign the document.
The resolution was presented by Roy Gedat of Norway who said the governor’s proposal would have a “pretty egregious” impact on Norway taxpayers.
While Norway is already facing a budget that may bring a 6 percent increase in taxes for property owners.
LePage’s biennial budget proposal includes eliminating $238 million in municipal revenue sharing and $200 million less for local schools.
According to the resolution, LePage’s proposed budget would also cut the state’s reimbursement for General Assistance by an estimated $6.7 million and eliminate the Homestead Exemption for anyone under the age of 65.
Town Manager David Holt said he welcomed anyone with an opposing view to speak at a future selectmen’s meeting, but he had no hesitation in recommending the board sign the resolution.
“Towns in these hard times need to bear their fair share. My opinion is they’re being asked to do more than their fair share,” he said.
Holt said in addition to the impact from the governor’s proposal, the town and the seven others in SAD 17 are facing what could be a $250,000 impact from the school budget.
Selectmen and town managers from those eight towns are set to meet with Superintendent Rick Colpitts and other school officials next week to discuss the impact of the school’s proposed budget, which will be unveiled in the next month to taxpayers.
In December, Colpitts presented a preliminary 2013-14 budget that could raise the total assessment for all eight school district towns 10.99 percent on average, or $1,864,089 more than this year. The new fiscal year begins July 1, 2013.
Last year, voters approved a $35.1 million budget with an overall 6.03 percent increase in local assessments.
Work on Norway’s budget will begin April 4. The Budget Committee and selectmen will each work toward developing recommendations for voters at the annual town meeting in June.
If the state has not passed a budget by then, Holt said it is possible they could bypass the budget articles until the state firms up its numbers.
ldixon@sunjournal.com
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