Hearing on Greenville budgets

Staff Report

   GREENVILLE — The Greenville Board of Selectmen met on May 6 and made some final changes to the proposed municipal budget which will be voted on next month.
   Property taxes are recommended to be due on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016.
   The maximum amount selectmen recommend for disposal of town property without specific town meeting approval will remain at $5,000.

   An informational note explaining where the various components of the new IT budget were pulled from will be added to the warrant.
   The transfer station dumpster account will be removed from the proposed carry forward amounts.
   Fund balance utilization for offsetting the net cost of property taxes will be changed from $200,000 to $175,000.
   A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13 at 6 p.m. in the municipal office community room on the municipal and school budgets.
   Selectmen have recommended a $1.43 million municipal budget, up by $89,507 from last year.
   If approved, the town’s property taxes will increase .3 mills from $14.70 per $1,000 of assessed valuation to $15 even.
   The $3.66 million school budget recommended by the Greenville School Committee is up by $130,000; and if passed, could add on an additional 1.2 mill increase.
   Some of the reasons for the higher budget include the addition of a math-science teacher and the revival of the Jobs for Maine Graduates program.
   Other items discussed at last week’s meeting include the new ATV access route from downtown to Indian Hill Trading Post which was recently approved by the Maine Department of Transportation.
   According to minutes of the meeting, several Selectmen noted the importance of having a police presence on the access routes early in the season to encourage voluntary compliance with the rules. Simko agreed to work with Police Chief Jeff Pomerleau to develop an awareness and enforcement plan for the coming ATV season.
   The board also agreed by consensus to authorize Simko and Public Works Foreman Mark Bernier to send a detailed letter to H.P. Fairfield “expressing strong dissatisfaction with the two-plus month delay in delivery of the new plow truck.”