UT voters evenly split on Atkinson deorganization

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Unorganized territory (UT) residents responding to an advisory referendum on the Atkinson deorganization procedure were nearly split 50/50 when asked if they favored the proposal. Thirty four of the returned ballots opposed the procedure, while 33 favored the deorganization — one other ballot was miscast.

“Yesterday was the deadline for receiving absentee ballots so I spent yesterday afternoon counting them,” Interim County Manager Tom Lizotte said during an Aug. 2 meeting of the Piscataquis County Commissioners. Lizotte said ballots received prior to a pair of public hearings for UT residents, with one in Greenville and the second taking place the following evening in Milo, tended to favor deorganization whereas post-hearing ballots had a majority of responders opposed.

“There was a very striking difference before and after,” he said. Lizotte said should Atkinson deorganize then many of its municipal services would fall under the auspices of the county, and as a result the taxes for all UT residents would increase.

The results from the advisory referendum will be now be forwarded to the state. “That will be another data point for the Legislature when they consider whether Atkinson should deorganize or not,” Lizotte said. “This is probably good news for Atkinson,” he added about the split referendum results.

On the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 16 Atkinson residents will vote on whether to go forward with deorganization, as well as make a decision on whether to start the withdrawal process from SAD 41. Under the plan, Atkinson students would attend RSU 68/Foxcroft Academy.

An affirmative decision on Aug. 16 would send the deorganization procedure to the Legislature, and this body could take a vote on the plan in 2017 — with public hearings beforehand in Augusta. Should the Legislature approve the deorganization procedure then the plan would come back to Atkinson citizens for another vote on the November 2018 gubernatorial ballot. The procedure would need to be passed by a two-thirds majority of citizens for the municipality to deorganize.

“That’s when they have their full vote,” Lizotte said. He said July 1, 2019 would be the date Atkinson becomes part of the UT and the county budget preparations leading up to the 2019-20 fiscal year would reflect the change.

“We sent out 656 ballots and 162 were returned here because the post office was unable to deliver them,” Lizotte said. “494 were actually delivered and we got 68 back. That’s a return of a little under 14 percent.”

In other business, the commissioners approved the hire of Debra Hamlin for an emergency management agency (EMA)/probate clerk position split four days and one day between the respective departments.

“I received 33 applications,” Piscataquis County EMA Director Tom Capraro — who was joined at the meeting by Probate Register Donna Peterson — said. He said with a hiring committee, “We narrowed it down to six people to be interviewed. We unanimously chose Debra Hamlin from Milo.”

Capraro said Hamlin had worked at the Verso Paper mill in Bucksport as an administrative assistant for over 20 years.

“The top six that we interviewed were all qualified, as Tom said she jumped right out at us,” Peterson said. “we think she will be a great fit.”

The position has been vacant since the end of June. Capraro said Hamlin should be able to start right away.

“Aug. 15 is the date for the first draft of budgets to come in,” Lizotte said as the various department heads will submit their proposals for 2017. He said the first draft of the larger county spending plan will follow soon thereafter.

A nine-person budget advisory committee will start meeting in October. The committee positions are divided among the three commissioners’ districts and county officials will be checking to see if members are willing to serve again this year.

Lizotte reported that the paving of approximately 0.9 miles of roads in Barnard, Ebeemee and Orneville was completed the week before. “So that whole side of the county’s been done,” he said.

A larger paving project is scheduled for the next two years in Elliotsville with work in the Moosehead Lake region to follow as part of the long-term road plan. “The X-factor in that plan is the deorganization of Atkinson,” Lizotte said.

When asked, he said the town currently maintains about five miles of paved roads. The state is in charge of the other asphalt travelways, such as the Stagecoach Road.