$5M-plus D-F budget proposed for 2017-18

DOVER-FOXCROFT — On Saturday, April 29 residents will gather in the gymnasium at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building at 9 a.m. to vote on a 10-article warrant at the annual town meeting. Items approved on April 29 will then go to the referendum ballot set for Tuesday, June 13.

During a public hearing hosted by the selectmen and the budget advisory committee on March 29 at the town office, a proposed $5,074,820 municipal budget for 2017-18 was presented. This gross figure represents a near $490,000 increase (10.68 percent) from the current fiscal year.
Town Manager Jack Clukey said two line items in the spending plan equal nearly $2,357,000 in revenues.

“That money will go toward this budget, that’s not property taxes,” he said.
Once the revenues — which total a little more than $408,400 or 20.96 percent from the year before due to higher excise tax collection and use of fund balance — have been applied a figure of $2,717,970 would need to be raised through property taxes.

The net budget total is up by approximately $81,300 from 2016-17, a difference of 3.08 percent.
Chris Maas of the budget advisory committee said, “This increase can be almost explained by the increase in health insurance.”

The proposed 2017-18 finances would lead lead to an approximate $0.25 increase in the mill rate, from the current rate of $20.25 for every $1,000 in assessed property.

The town meeting warrant includes a pair of non-fiscal articles on the prohibition of retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana social clubs. The first article asks if an ordinance prohibiting these locations should be enacted, and should this item fail then voters will be asked to adopt a moratorium ordinance on retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana social clubs.

Clukey said the first article of the two articles comes from the Maine Municipal Association. The language was developed following the November state referendum legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. “There is an ability for a municipality to opt out of the retail aspect of it,” Clukey said, as residents can still use medicinal and recreational marijuana within the law.

The selectmen have discussed retail marijuana, which includes cultivation sites and testing facilities, and Clukey said a statewide moratorium is in place through February. “The state will not be issuing any retail permits before that,” he said.

The town manager said the proposed moratorium was included should the prohibition article fail. “We would still have options in terms of what we can allow and wouldn’t allow,” he said, as the moratorium would allow time for such guidelines to be developed. When asked, Clukey said no one has approached the town with an interest in establishing a retail marijuana establishments or social clubs.

In November “our community voted roughly 1,100 to 800 roughly against the question,” Clukey said. “Having this question again is another opportunity to speak on it as a community.”