Budget will face town vote

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

MILO — With the annual town meeting set for Monday, March 14 at 7 p.m. in the Ed Wingler Auditorium upstairs at the town hall, the selectmen gave their approval to a proposed 2016 spending plan.

“This budget we just voted on will be presented to the town,” Select Chair Lee McMannus said. “This isn’t the final vote, March is the final vote. It’s up to the townspeople, not just the board.”

Milo officials said the proposed municipal budget is up by about $7,400 from the previous year’s total of near $1.9 million, with the increase stemming from a rise in insurance costs that are beyond the town’s control.

Before voting on the spending plan, the selectmen unanimously voted to use up to $75,000 from surplus to ensure the mil rate stays at the current rate. In July the board set the mil rate at $28.70 for every $1,000 in assessed property for 2015.

The selectmen’s approval of the budget for the annual town meeting came despite the spending plan not coming with the OK of the five-member budget committee. “The budget committee did not approve the budget as proposed,” said Chair Danielle Craig.

She said an objection stemmed from the proposed 2 percent raise across the board for town employees, saying this is needed to bring some departments in line with similar-sized towns across Maine but not for all Milo departments. “The stipends that was the other piece, everything else is good,” Craig said.

Selectman Jerry Brown said the municipal employees are hardworking people and deserve the 2 percent increase in what they are being paid. “We have that responsibility to them, I recommend to the board that we give them the 2 percent,” he said.

Board member Peter Hamlin cited how the town does not want turnover, such in the public works, police and fire departments, and raises could help keep employees in place. “That’s a big factor to me and I think it should be heavily considered,” he said.

“I think the 2 percent ought to stay in there across the board,” McMannus said. “The stipends I think ought to stay in.” He explained the stipends are for employees who have been doing more tasks under the current system of not having a full-time town manager in place.

“On behalf of the board I would like to thank you for your time and effort,” McMannus said to the budget committee members at the start of the discussions.

“It was very much appreciated all the work you put into it, all the research,” Interim Town Manager Damien Pickel said.