Annual meeting set for April 25

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — On Saturday, April 25, at 9 a.m. in the gymnasium at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building, residents will vote on the warrant making up the 2015-16 fiscal year budget. Articles approved on the last Saturday of the month will then go out to a referendum ballot to be decided at the polls on Tuesday, June 9 at the town office.

    After working on the spending plan with weekly meetings throughout March, the Budget Advisory Committee and selectmen held a public hearing on April 1 to present a draft budget and warrant articles and receive feedback prior to the April 25 town meeting.
    Six of the articles concern town finances with the total gross appropriations proposed equaling just under $4,239,000, a $170,530 increase (4 percent) from the current fiscal year. Over $1,156,400 in non-property tax revenues results in a net budget of slightly more than $3,082,400, which is $74,770 (2.4 percent) more than for 2014-15.
    The first seven articles on the warrant drew no questions or comments from the audience. “Basically articles eight and nine are referendum questions that will be on the ballot in June,” Selectman Scott Taylor said.
    “These are non-budgetary items,” Town Manager Jack Clukey added.   
    Article No. 8 concerns shoreland zoning ordinance amendments, and the ninth article asks if a traffic incident ordinance shall be enacted.