George Chase elected with 2 votes

Mon, 06/06/2022 - 11:00am

BILL PEARSON

There was no official candidate on the May 21 Edgecomb School Committee member election so George Chase voted for himself. When the ballots were counted, Chase won, 2-0. He will begin his three-year term June 6 at the last school committee meeting of the school year. “I did vote for myself, but I don’t know who cast the other ballot,” he said. Chase, 50, serves as the Edgecomb and Newcastle code enforcement officers. He also works as a boiler operator at a local medical facility.

He is anxious to start his term on the school committee. “I’m looking forward to giving back to the community, and excited about this opportunity,” he said.

For the third consecutive year, Edgecomb held a referendum election instead of the traditional town meeting. Six incumbents ran unopposed and were re-elected: Ted Hugger, selectman; Barry Hathorne and John Dunlap, to the planning board; Scott Griffin, road commissioner; Rebecca Brewer, tax collector; and Claudia Coffin, town clerk and town treasurer.

Residents approved the $4,901,553 combined municipal and education budget which is down $98,923 or 1.98% from last year. Education spending is the largest part of the budget at $3,093,553 which is a $190,209 reduction or 5.79%. Residents approved 57 of 60 articles. The three defeated articles, Nos. 57, 59 and 60, dealt with Edgecomb School Committee requests. No. 57 lost, 22-38. It sought voter authorization for use of any additional state subsidy. No. 59 lost, 18-42. It sought approval for creating a capital improvement reserve account. No. 60 lost, 23-37. It sought approval to create a contingency reserve account of up to $50,000.

Selectmen recommended voters reject the three articles. Board Chairman Dawn Murray believed when a school project emerged, then voters could approve funding at a special town meeting. “There is no doubt they (the school committee) need to get things done. When they come up with estimates, that will be the time, and the money will still be in the undesignated fund,” she said.

In municipal budgetary articles, voters approved $80,000, up from $79,278, for general government and general expenses. Town officials’ salaries also rose from $74,952 to $84,371, a 12.57% increase. The recommended municipal salaries for Fiscal Year 23 are select board chairman, $5,000; selectmen, $4,000; tax collector, $12,000; deputy tax collector, $3,850; treasurer, $4,000; town clerk, $4,000; registrar of voters, $808; school committee chairman, $1,000; school committee members, $750; town accounting, $4,750; planning board chairman, $1,000; planning board members and alternates, $200; public health officer, $250; secretarial and website administration, $2,750; custodial, $1,500; animal control officer, $1,912; code enforcement officer, $12,000; emergency management agency coordinator, $1,000; other employees, $3,500; and town share of medicare and social security, $6,351.

Voters also enacted a solar power ordinance. The planning board proposed an ordinance in response to a New York City-based power company’s application to build a solar array on U.S. Route 1. In March 2021, the planning board conditionally approved Syncarpha Capital, LLC’s plans to construct a 4.9-megawatt solar array with 17,500 panels. But the town didn’t have an ordinance dealing with solar power. The planning board reviewed other communities’ ordinances which resulted in writing one based on Wiscasset’s and other language provided by Maine Municipal Association.

While several Lincoln County towns are dealing with skyrocketing ambulance services, Edgecomb is not. Voters approved paying the $17,000 annual fee to Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service. Voters also approved raising and appropriating $115,748 for fire department operation. The department received $18,493 in additional funding or a 19.01% increase. Other spending approved for the fire department includes $54,149 for a truck payment. Voters also approved raising and appropriating $13,537.36 and appropriating $40,612.08 from the TIF (Tax Increment Financing) Project Town Cost Sub account.

Voters approved $39,073 for fire department compensation and approved the following salaries: fire chief, $9,500; assistant chief, $2,250; captains, $1,000; lieutenants, $500; firefighters, $17,250; custodian, $1,698; clerk, $2,600; and town share of Medicare and Social Security, $2,776.

Voters authorized appropriating $10,000 for the Fire Truck Reserve Fund. Voters approved funds for two local libraries. Wiscasset Public Library will receive $4,500 and Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library will receive $2,000.

Social service organizations will no longer need to present a petition to gain ballot access for a municipal contribution. Residents approved Article 36 which changed the requirement from a petition to a letter. Voters approved municipal contributions for the following organizations: Spectrum Generations, $1,155; Midcoast Maine Community Action, $1,500; Healthy Kids, $2,000; and New Hope for Women, $1,000.