Parkman residents pass all but two articles

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    PARKMAN — The turnout was fairly small by Parkman standards, but the voters who did show up at the March 21 annual town meeting passed all but two articles.
    The session lasted two hours and 15 minutes and the original crowd of 39 thinned out considerably after the lunch break at the Parkman Grange hall.

    The municipal appropriations passed were about $1,300 less than last year’s $263,000 budget, but the 2015 Piscataquis County tax of $83,778 is up by $6,190 and town officials are braced for an increase in the School Administrative District 4 budget. Parkman’s share of the school budget last year was $484,657.
    Selectman Patricia Johnson, who has served for the past 25 years, was reelected to another three-year term unopposed and was also voted in as board chair.
    Other candidates elected unopposed were SAD 4 Director Tracy Gordon, Library Trustee Cynthia O’Donnell, Planning Board members Scott Raymond and Carl O’Donnell for five-year terms and Planning Board member Christian McGinn for a four-year term.
    The article to set compensation for town officials prompted a brief discussion with one resident, Peggy Romano, suggesting that Administrative Assistant Brenda Hartford’s salary be raised from the recommended $14.25 to $15 per hour. “Maybe we can’t afford it, but I think Brenda’s contribution in keeping this town office running as well as she does warrants the raise,” Romano said.
    But Hartford said she was comfortable with her salary this year and preferred that the article be passed as written. Eventually, it was.
    The only two articles that failed were a measure to authorize the board of selectmen to gather information about switching to a secret ballot method of electing officers and the annual request for contributions to social service agencies.
    The general consensus of the audience on the secret ballot proposal was “If it ain’t’ broke, don’t fix it,” as Wayne Libby put it.
    There were eight social service agencies requesting contributions this year, ranging from Penquis’ $2,177 request to MPBN’s $100. The increase in county taxes was one of the reasons why the article proved to be unpopular, as some attendees pointed out that the organizations also receive funds from the county. “They’re all worthy causes, but why should we pay twice?” said one man.
    Voters also debated the road-related articles briefly after McGinn suggested that some of the money earmarked for paving should be shifted to the maintenance account. “I think it’s fabulous the way they fixed up Crow Hill and the North Dexter roads, but I’d like to see some money taken out of tarring and put toward maintenance, especially if the price of tar goes down,” said McGinn.
    But Carl O’Donnell said that some roads need a second coat of paving. “The North Dexter Road falls apart on a regular basis,” O’Donnell said. “The second coat applied after a year seals it off from the rain and the salt.”
    Voters eventually passed a winter roads budget of $120,000, a maintenance and construction budget of $105,000 and $36,500 for paving.