Warrant signed for Dover-Foxcroft town meeting

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The selectmen signed a seven-article warrant for the annual town meeting taking place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 28 in the gymnasium at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building, during an April 9 meeting.

The articles make up a proposed 2018-19 municipal budget totaling $5,019,355, a $55,465 decrease (1.09 percent) from the current fiscal year.

The $5 million-plus would be offset by a little less than $2,192,000 in revenues, down $180,755 (7.62 percent) from the figure for 2017-18. The result would be a net amount of $2,827,650 to be raised through property taxes, an increase of $125,290 or 4.64 percent.

The 2018-19 spending plan being brought to town meeting on April 28 would translate to a projected .4 mill rate increase for a proposed mill rate of $21.30 per every $1,000 in assessed property.

Items approved at town meeting will be moved to the referendum ballot on Tuesday, June 12. The election is scheduled to include a question on the RSU 68 school budget, which will also go to voters in the fellow district towns of Charleston, Monson and Sebec.

“When we start to see the snow melt we can see the roads and when we start to see the roads we can see where we should be paving,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said at the start of his report. He said Gorrill Palmer, which the town contracts with for paving management, is expected to be in town later in the month to look at road conditions and make recommendations for work to be done in 2018.

“We’re going to give them latitude to do what they think is the best in any given year,” Clukey said.

The town manager said an assessment survey was sent out with sewer bills and this feedback will be discussed at an age friendly community event from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24 at the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church.

Clukey also said the town is looking to provide property owners with the option of paying their tax bills online, as a demonstration was recently conducted for town employees. “I think that’s something we’re very excited about and would be a big convenience for people,” he said.

Finance Director Dave Johnson said there would be a third party fee on debit and credit credit payments. He said the only cost to the town would be to have a banking relationship with the company providing the online payment option.