LIVERMORE — By consensus, selectpersons on Tuesday agreed to submit a request to the Budget Committee for $5,000 more for a summer recreation program for children.
Livermore Falls and Jay officials approached their counterparts in Livermore about funding for the program, which is held at the Area Youth Sports Building, 25 Cedar St. in Livermore Falls, Selectperson Scott Richmond said. Livermore Falls budgeted $38,000 to pay for most of the program last year, he said. Thirty-three from Livermore attended, he said.
Jay contributed $13,000 last year, according to information provided.
Livermore is being asked to provide $8,637 and Jay and Livermore Falls roughly $17,200 each, Administrative Assistant Carrie Judd said. Livermore Falls had 75 children participate last year and Jay had 79. Children from those towns paid about $48 to attend while those from Livermore paid $78, she said.
“That doesn’t cover what the cost actually is,” Richmond said. “If we don’t give them any money toward (the program) it is going to be about $230 per kid.”
“I think it is a great program,” Selectperson Joshua Perkins, said, noting one of his children attended last year. “I was surprised that (Livermore doesn’t) contribute. $230 is still cheap, but it is a lot for somebody to come up with if they don’t have it.”
Richmond wasn’t sure if the Budget Committee would support adding money to the budget, which taxpayers will consider at the annual town meeting April 23. He was in favor of putting it on the ballot and letting taxpayers decide.
“That is what I am thinking,” Perkins said. “It is something good for the kids, keeps them off Brettuns Pond. They get two meals, which is good. Even at $78 it was super affordable.”
The six-week program is daily from about 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Judd said.
“Another good thing about the program is it gives some of our older kids summer jobs,” Perkins said.
“More than likely, the 33 kids that went last year, if their parents had to come up with more money some wouldn’t be able to,” Richmond said. More children might participate in the program if it didn’t end so early in the day, he said.
“I am not a huge fan of telling people they have got to pay for other kids to go do something,” Selectperson Brett Deyling said. “But if we put it on the ballot (taxpayers) can decide if they want to spend money on kids.”
“If we don’t vote to put it on the ballot, Jay and Livermore Falls would have to make their budgets higher to compensate for it,” Judd said.
Richmond said the question passed in Jay and Livermore Falls.
Chairman Mark Chretien said he is willing to put $5,000 in the budget for the program.
Deyling supported that amount.
“That would raise the cost (per child) a little bit, but it’s not out of sight,” Deyling said. “It would cover more than half of it.”
Richmond was in favor of the $5,000.
Selectperson Jeremy Emerson supported $8,637, as did Perkins.
“It’s not really that much more,” Perkins said. “If we only put $5,000 and it makes it higher for the kids that want to go, then they might not take advantage of it and we might just be giving away the money for nothing.”
It has to go to the Budget Committee, the intent will be for the Budget Committee to support the amount recommended by the Select Board, Richmond said.
“They need to know what we are willing to put up,” Chretien said.
The budget is going to go up because a backhoe is needed. The Budget Committee may support $5,000, he added.
“I think $5,000 is reasonable,” Deyling said. “That means people can decide if they want to support kids or not. I don’t want to force people to put money into other peoples’ kids. This is a compromise.”
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