Harpswell residents approved a $6.9 million budget last week after rejecting a proposal for the town to acquire Harpswell Coastal Academy campus.
William “Bart” Beattie and Gregory Greenleaf were the winners in a three-way race for two seats on the SAD 75 school board that also included incumbent Eric Lusk.
The town budget is up 9.3% from this year’s and results in a property tax increase about 3.6%, not including any potential tax increase resulting from the new SAD 75 budget, which is still being developed.
Town meeting voters also rejected spending $150,000 for recycling center upgrades.
The town budget includes $135,000 for the town’s boat launch project at Mitchell Field; and $60,000 for “resilience and sustainability” to ensure the town has money to repair infrastructure from climate change and leverage grant opportunities to prepare for future climate risks; $75,000 in reserve for a townwide property revaluation, and a $10,000 request from the Maine Lobsterman’s Association for their legal defense fund.
The approved budget stands at $6,928,535 compared to this fiscal year’s budget of $6,337,339.
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