SMYRNA, Maine — A sparse crowd turned out March 3 for Smyrna’s annual town meeting, but the next evening a large group came out for Merrill’s gathering.
“I think the cold kept people home,” Town Manager Candy Nevers said. “The municipal budget increased by less than 1 percent — that increase due to increase in cost of insurances and salt sand.”
Nevers is the town manager for both Smyrna and Merrill.
The municipal expenditures for Smyrna are $202,124, while the town’s share of the RSU 50 budget for the first six months of the fiscal year came in at $108,798. Never said the town is estimating the second half of the school’s budget to be about $110,000. The RSU 50 budget is not finalized until sometime in June.
“We put an estimate in for the second half of our school budget to get a bottom line for the mill rate,” Nevers explained. “Last year our mill rate was $16.25 — this year it is not expected to go above $16.50.”
Smyrna’s mill rate will be set after the budget for RSU 50 is passed. The town also had an increase in other revenues that was used to offset some of the expenses.
Nevers said there was also discussion of Smyrna celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2014. No action was taken, but a town-wide celebration is being considered.
“We will be calling for volunteers and for donations to help with this endeavor,” she said. “It was also discussed that in 25 years we would have the big one and some of us would be well into our 80s and 90s and probably the younger generation would take care of that celebration!”
On March 4, a total of 52 Merrill voters went to the polls to cast ballots. Merrill’s total population is 241, according to Nevers. Mark Lawlor was re-elected as selectman for a three-year term. Robert Furrow received 13 votes as a write-in candidate.
Later that day at the town meeting, 18 residents participated in the town meeting, approving a municipal budget of $235,404, up slightly from last year’s budget of $234,686.
The increase is based on the budget passed and an estimate for the second half of the RSU 50 School budget. Last year, the town raised $149,285 for education, but this year the figure for the first six months was $74,334. The estimated figure for the second half is $80,000.
“We had an exceptional voter turnout, great participation by voters at town meeting – just the way we like it – we heard from voters and know what they want,” Nevers said. “I love to see democracy in action. Too many people across the USA are apathetic when it comes to the ballot box. It was great to have competition for the race for selectman because it brought out the voters.”
