WISCASSET

The Board of Selectmen indicated Tuesday night it favors one method to fund the town’s possible withdrawal from Regional School Unit 12. Residents who signed a petition back an entirely different plan.

The Budget Committee will weigh in on a funding mechanism Thursday night.

Neither plan to pay the estimated $2 million price tag of leaving RSU 12 might be necessary. Residents will have the final say on the matter of withdrawal itself, on article 2 of the Nov. 5 town meeting warrant. If voters do vote for withdrawal, they will choose the payment method in articles 3 and 4.

Article 3 calls for a $2 million bond, with an estimated debt service of $443,500 over the 10 years of the loan.

According to article 4, the town would take the $2 million from a town reserve account of $11.4 million.

The money would pay RSU 12 for equipment, existing service contracts and im- provements made to the three Wiscasset schools. It would also pay for teachers’ summer salaries.

A public hearing on all the Nov. 5 warrant articles is scheduled for Oct. 15, at 7 p.m.

Board Chairman Ed Polewarczyk said that the options are “ugly,” and favors neither funding proposal. Accordingly, selectmen voted 4-1 for the bond method.

“Taking it from the reserve account would mean $50,000 a year in interest forever gone,” Polewarczyk estimated.

Doug Smith, who had spoken earlier on behalf of the petition he helped circulate, responded.

“I don’t think either alternative’s bad,” Smith said, “and I don’t think we should take one position or the other. I think people could look at both options and say they are good, as long as my taxes don’t go up.”

Smith went on to say that, presently, the town is subsidizing Alna and Westport Island students to attend Wiscasset schools, which have far fewer students than before Maine Yankee left town.

“We should be responsible for educating Wiscasset students,” Smith said.

Selectwoman Pam Dunning said that, because money figures are on the Nov. 5 warrant, it is necessary for the board to make a recommendation. The 4-1 vote followed.

The board then voted 5-0 against the proposal to take the money from the reserve account.

Smith, chairman of the Wiscasset School Board prior to the formation of RSU 12, also sat on the committee that helped organize the school unit.

“The (Wiscasset) school system was built for 1,500 students,” he said. “We have nowhere near that. The RSU has announced that it would close a building, most likely the middle school.”

Smith pointed out that three other towns — Westport Island, Windsor and Palermo — also are considering withdrawal from RSU 12.

“If Wiscasset stays and the other three towns vote out, we’re going to be facing a substantial tax increase,” he said.

The board was to vote on article 2 itself, but no vote was taken after Vice Chairwoman Judy Colby opposed the vote.

“It’s the people’s choice,” Colby said.

In addition to the RSU 12 issues, an adult entertainment establishment ordinance is on the election warrant, to be signed Friday by the board. Also, a road standard ordinance and an article seeking up to $1.2 million in capital improvements will be up for a vote.

lgrard@timesrecord.com