Wade elects officials, sets budget
Special to The Star-Herald
WADE — The annual Town Meeting was held on Tuesday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at the Dunntown Advent Christian Church. Andy White was elected to be the moderator. Prior to the election of officers, a citizen presented information regarding dissolving the town, with no action taken on this issue.
The meeting began with the election of Cheryl Matowitz as town clerk. She was sworn in and assumed her new duties that night. The remaining slate of officers for 2010-2011 year are as follows: Town Clerk Cheryl Matowitz, compensation $ 775; Selectmen: Donna Turner, Nelson Ketch and Freeman R. Corey at a compensation of $2500 each; excise tax collector is the town of Washburn at a cost of $3,605 annually; elected surveyor of wood, bark and lumber was Andy White; elected library director was Steve DeMaio and elected School Board director was Michael McIntosh.
The selectmen were voted to be assessors, overseers of the poor, road commissioners and constables. Compensation for code enforcement officer was set at $1,000; it will be the responsibility of the selectmen to select someone to fill this position.
There was a “failure to elect” a treasurer/property tax collector as there were no nominees. The selectmen will have to hire an individual to fill this role and a special town meeting will be held once this occurs. The previous treasurer/property tax collectors have also utilized their homes as offices. The town will now need to establish a Town Office and the selectmen will need to develop this.
The position of animal control officer was not filled. It was recommended the responsibilities of the position be combined with the road man position. The selectmen will take this under advisement.
The town passed a budget totaling $148,115.67, a decrease of about $8,227 over last year’s budget. The articles passed as written, with the exception of Article 24. This article was amended to reflect the absence of an elected treasurer. Article 24 was passed as follows: “To see if the town will authorize the treasurer — in the absence of an elected treasurer, the selectmen, acting in capacity of town treasurer — to sign waivers on tax deeds that require the signature of the town of Wade and execute any and all deeds that are necessary to convey property by the town through tax liens.
This year’s mil rate isn’t expected to change much from last year’s rate of $23.65 per $1,000 in valuation.
Donna Turner was sworn in as a selectperson. The meeting was adjourned. The selectmen set their first official meeting for 23 March at 6 p.m. at Donna Turner’s house.
