The Edgecomb School Committee is faced with either funding local education at the past year’s level or seeking a special town meeting after voters rejected four articles in the referendum town meeting Aug. 29. Unlike past town meetings where a defeated article could be funded at a lower level, the referendum format made it all or nothing.

Selectmen postponed the May town meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately settled on a referendum town meeting in August to avoid the state of emergency restrictions limiting public gatherings to less than 50 people. The school committee presented voters with a $3,312,286 budget which reflected a 1.4% percent increase. The proposal sought to exceed Maine’s Essential Programs and Service model by $875,114, but the proposed budget came at no increase to local taxpayers.

Still, Edgecomb selectmen believed the proposal was too much for local taxpayers to handle due to uncertain times caused by the coronavirus and recommended a “no” vote on four education articles. Selectmen urged voters to reject Article 48 “Shall the Town authorize the School Committee to expend $1,810,437 for Regular Instruction Programs for the 2020-21 fiscal year” and Articles 60 and 61 which sought authorization to exceed the EPS formula and the entire $3,312,286 Fiscal Year 21 budget. Selectmen also urged “no” votes on Articles 65 and 66 which created two non-lapsing reserve accounts. No. 65 sought authorization to appropriate up to $250,000 from the unassigned fund balance to be placed in a non-lapsing capital improvements reserve account and No. 66 sought authorization for the school committee to appropriate up to $50,000 from the unassigned fund balance to be placed in a non-lapsing emergency reserve account. 

Voters rejected all four. Residents defeated Article 48 seeking $1,810,437 for Regular Instruction Programs 79-90. Residents defeated Article 60 seeking to exceed the EPS formula 67-101 and Article 61 seeking authorization for the $3,312,286 by 71-90. Voters rejected the non-lapsing capital improvement reserve account 61-105, and the emergency reserve account 61-107.

The three-person school committee is now faced with either funding those defeated articles at the current year’s level or seek a special town meeting. During an Aug. 19 virtual public hearing, school officials indicated they may seek a special town meeting if the warrants articles failed. On Aug. 24, Selectman Ted Hugger reported he’d spoken with Alternative Organizational Structure 98 Superintendent Dr. Keith Laser about the prospect of a special town meeting. Hugger described the special town meeting as being scheduled “fairly quickly” and would be a public meeting with less than 50 indoors,  and remaining voters outdoors.

School Committee Chairman Tom Abello was unavailable for comment following the referendum. The committee will likely decide whether or not to seek a special town meeting during their virtual board meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31.

One other article was defeated on the 66-question warrant. Voters rejected No. 46 which sought $2,000 for The Community Center in Boothbay Harbor. The article lost 78-85.

Town Clerk Claudia Coffin reported 170 voters cast ballots in the referendum vote. All the municipal elections were uncontested. Write-in candidate Kim Batchelder received 65 votes to serve as tax collector for one year. Coffin won re-election as tax collector and town clerk. Scott Griffin won re-election as road commissioner. Both Coffin and Griffin were re-elected to one-year terms. Selectman Jack Sarmanian won a fifth term. Heather Sinclair won a second term to the school committee. And after a two-year absence, Jack French won re-election to the planning board. Sarmanian, Sinclair and French won three-year terms.