STRONG — Voters will elect five municipal officials Friday and set the 2016 budget Saturday.
On Friday, polls will be open from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Forster Memorial Building to elect a fire chief, two selectmen and two school board directors. All are running unopposed.
Selectman Mike Pond is seeking another three-year term. Rob Elliott is on the ballot for the three-year selectman’s seat left by Milt Baston. Regional School Unit 58 directors Loretta Deming and Jessie Stinchfield and Fire Chief Duayne Boyd will continue to serve in their respective positions, if re-elected.
At 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 5, at the Forster Memorial Building voters will be decide a 64-article warrant. The proposed budget of $572,543 is slightly less than last year. Selectmen developed the proposed budget, and the Budget Committee met in February to review and make its recommendations. Voters may decide to follow either group’s recommendations or propose alternative amounts.
Treasurer Sandra Mitchell said insurance for employees has dropped from $62,000 to $55,000 after selectmen approved a change from Maine Municipal Association’s insurance plan to one offered by Maine Community Health Options.
Since the town’s finances are in good shape, according to the auditor, selectmen will ask voters to approve the transfer of $250,000 from the surplus account to reduce this year’s tax commitment and to approve up to $40,000 to buy a used excavator for the highway department.
Selectmen will request $500 for cemetery work and authorization to use Village Cemetery trust funds for some much-needed repairs and maintenance for several small old cemeteries. Only the Village Cemetery is owned by the town, and eight others have no town-authorized allocations for maintenance other than basic care of veterans’ graves.
Several nonprofit organizations have requested annual donations, and selectmen chose to make no recommendations. The Budget Committee recommended $2,500 for the Salem Economic Ministry, $500 for Safe Voices’ domestic violence and bullying prevention programs.
Several articles request funds for recreation-related costs.
Both panels recommend raising $1,000 to start restoration of the three “Welcome to Strong’ signs.
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