GEORGETOWN
Residents will gather in Georgetown Saturday for Town Meeting to approve a $4.3 million combined municipal and school budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year.
The proposed budget is up $191,057 over last fiscal year’s budget, an increase of 4.6 percent. The projected impact on the mil rate is an increase of 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $7.37, up from $7.10.
The largest dollar increases are proposed in the school, fire department and health, recreation and human services budget lines, and in county taxes.
Sagadahoc County taxes total $890,364, up $61,457 from last year’s total of $828,907. This is the secondlargest budget increase on the warrant.
A $62,180 increase is proposed for the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department, nearly doubling the total from last year’s budget of $70,820 up to $133,000.
The purchase of an ambulance to retire one of the two ambulances currently in service accounts for the increase, said Mary McDonald, assistant to the Board of Selectmen.
“We feel pretty strongly about having two ambulances operating,” said McDonald, adding that the town will be purchasing a used ambulance to replace the older one currently being used.
The proposed school budget is $2,111,716, an increase of $42,727 from last year’s budget of $2,068,989.
The cost of regular instruction has decreased from $1,048,181 last year to a proposed total of $1,024,027, a reduction of $24,154.
The proposed budget for special education shows an increase of $78,360, raising the total to $334,050 up from last year’s $255,690.
A decrease of $1,300 is proposed for the Town Owned Property Management Board, dropping the line from $64,800 last year to $63,500.
Costs for additional tree cutting and electrical upgrades were included in the TOPMB budget last year which have been eliminated this year.
Solid waste management proposed a budget increase of $5,000, with a $10,000 capital project being balanced out by a $5,000 reduction in solid waste removal expenses.
An increase for the Recreation Committee, up $1,270 over last year’s budget of $7,730, is owing to an appropriation for the town’s upcoming tricentennial celebration to occur in 2016, McDonald said.
Town Meeting will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Georgetown Central School gym, located at 52 Bay Point Road.
rgargiulo@timesrecord.com
TOWN MEETING will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Georgetown Central School gym, located at 52 Bay Point Road.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less