Wiscasset voters will choose among six candidates for three, two-year seats on the select board at the annual town election Sept. 8. They’ll also consider a combined municipal and school budget of just under $12 million. The warrant includes an article inserted by petition for repeal of the town’s historical preservation ordinance.

According to Town Clerk Linda Perry, incumbents Kimberly Andersson and Ben Rines Jr. are seeking to stay on the board. The others running are former selectmen Pamela Dunning and Timothy Merry, William Maloney of the budget committee, and Sarah Whitfield.

Selectmen’s Chair Judy Colby is not seeking re-election. “I decided not to run for re-election. It was time for me to retire and hand the reins over to somebody else,” she told Wiscasset Newspaper Sunday morning, July 12. Colby served four terms, including four years as chair. She served on the budget committee for two years before running for selectman.

The select board seats are the only contested seats on the ballot, said Perry.

Others on the ballot include Michelle Blagdon who’s seeking another two-year term on the school committee. Edward Kavanagh and Daniel Sortwell are seeking re-election as Wiscasset Water District trustees; Kavanagh for two years, Sortwell for three. Chair Gregg Wood did not take out nomination papers. The third vacancy has a three-year term.

Perry said no one took out papers for any of the seven seats on the budget committee.

Perry told Wiscasset Newspaper, absentee ballots would be available in a few weeks. State statutes require they be available 30 days prior to the election. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, residents may request absentee ballots up to and including the day of the election, she added. “Because of the social distancing recommendations, we’re planning to hold this year’s town election in the community center’s gymnasium rather than in the room used by the senior citizens,” she said.

Perry said residents voting in person will be urged to wear a face mask in accordance with the governor’s recommendations. Perry said the goal was to make the in-person voting process safe for voters and ballots clerks.

The polls will be open from 8 to 8. All absentee ballots must have been received before the polls close.

Articles on the proposed 2020-2021 school budget appear at the top of the town warrant. Article 3 asks for an operational budget of $9.99 million, which includes raising $5.99 million as the local share. A graph is included on the warrant showing where school funds will be spent. A public hearing on the warrant be held next month in the Wiscasset Community Center auditorium. Town and school articles will be discussed.                 

The referendum question seeking repeal of the historic preservation ordinance appears as article 68, with an addendum stating it was “inserted by petition.” Voting yes repeals the ordinance. Former selectman and current budget committee member Judy Flanagan led the petition effort. The question’s wording is the same as in a failed repeal effort in November 2017.

Should the no votes prevail on article 68, article 69 asks voters to replace the ordinance with an amended one, a copy of which is on file with the town clerk.