NEWRY — A proposed road project and improvements to the Town Office and Bear River Grange are two items up for discussion at town meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, March 3, in the Grange Hall, administrator Loretta Powers said Tuesday afternoon.
Excluding the county assessment of $344,983 and the estimated SAD 44 assessment of $2.78 million, town meeting voters will consider a municipal budget of $829,475. That’s up $57,637 from last year’s $771,838.
Last week, Newry selectmen OK’d taking $346,000 from surplus for two paving projects and to lower the tax rate. That’s Articles 31 and 32, which respectively ask if the town will approve taking $75,000 from unappropriated surplus to help offset taxes and put $271,000 in the capital improvement account.
Article 30 asks if voters will OK taking $200,000, as recommended by selectmen, from the capital improvement account to pave Skiway and Monkey Brook roads.
Article 29 asks for approval as recommended by selectmen to take $35,000 from the capital improvement account to pay for engineering of the Letter S section of Sunday River Road. Selectmen want to reconstruct 1,200 feet of Sunday River Road in the Nordic Knoll Road and Letter S swimming-hole area.
Article 17 seeks approval to spend the board’s recommended $35,000 for Grange Hall maintenance, which is $23,000 more than last year’s $12,500 budget. Planned improvements and maintenance includes $9,000 for furnace replacement and $3,500 to repair chimney leaks.
Article 21 asks for approval as recommended by selectmen to raise and appropriate $43,350 for operation and maintenance of the Town Office. Among the proposed work are $3,500 for chimney leak repairs, $6,000 for security improvements and $6,000 for a new carpet. That account increased from $27,500 last year.
In municipal elections, which are done from the floor, incumbent Wendy Hanscom and Doug Webster are seeking a three-year term as selectman; and incumbent Bonnie Largess is seeking another three-year term as SAD 44 School Board director.
Powers said Alan Fleet is not seeking another term as Newry’s dog officer, so that position is up for grabs.
Newry’s traditional potluck supper will be held at 5:30 p.m. downstairs in the Grange Hall.
tkarkos@sunjournal.com
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