Dear Editor:

The harbor expansion project may be this year’s hot button issue on the Town Warrant. The article would appropriate $174,000 to be used as a 50% match if the town receives a grant for the project. The money would come from Wiscasset’s capital improvement accounts which are typically used for things like paving or a new ambulance.

In a highly unusual vote, all 7 members of the Budget Committee and one Selectman voted against the project. As a taxpayer and Budget Committee member, I will vote no on the harbor expansion for several reasons. First and foremost, the Selectmen have placed almost $2 million in capital spending on the June warrant – more than four times the $450,000/year that the experts who manage these accounts recommend spending - and they plan to take us further into debt by rolling this year’s capital spending into a loan that we’ll be paying back over years.

Most of the capital spending on the warrant is essential to maintain our existing infrastructure. The harbor expansion is not. In fact, it creates new infrastructure that will require future maintenance. The Budget Committee rightly pointed out that it’s not clear that all such expenses were factored into the plan, nor did it show a reasonable return on investment.

I give the volunteers who serve on the Waterfront Committee credit for exploring this option for our harbor, but I believe the Selectmen have a duty to make sure that all due diligence is completed before advancing a major project to the warrant. Is this the best option? Will it generate the most income for the town? Have experts been consulted? Could the town offer incentives to entice a private entity to build the infrastructure and manage the day-to-day operations? We may never know because none of this was explored by the Waterfront Committee or Board of Selectmen.

Please vote no on the harbor expansion until such time that Wiscasset is in a better financial position and the proper due diligence has been completed.

Kim Dolce

Wiscasset resident

and Budget Committee member