HOULTON, Maine — At Monday’s Houlton Town Council meeting, councilors were briefed on how the municipal budget was shaping up.
“If the mil rate stays where it is presently, we are facing a $137,998 shortfall,” said Interim Town Manager Butch Asselin. “We need to bridge that gap.”
How residents voted on the school budget yesterday will directly determine the impact upon the municipal budget, which could drive the mil rate up a half mil or more.
Houlton resident Phil Bernaiche said, “Tomorrow is probably the biggest day of Houlton’s history. The voters are going to get out and they are going to tell RSU 29 that they are the boss and they want their (school) budget turned down.”
Bernaiche urged all residents to act upon their civic duty.
“Don’t come crying after you haven’t done your job,” he said.
Bernaiche told citizens they had control.
“The citizens just do not have the money for all your wishes up there,” he added.
“If the school budget is rejected, then the school hopefully comes back with a new budget, that can save us a little and help us a bit,” said Houlton chairman Paul Cleary. “If it is not rejected and passed as is then we have to figure out as a council what we want to do.”
Asselin pointed out the town is now behind schedule with its incoming revenues.
“Money is trickling in, but it is trickling in,” he said.
Property tax and other contract services are expected to come in, but the town is also facing a reduction in Homestead exemptions and on state revenue sharing. Last year, the town received more than $579,000 of revenue sharing and this year, Houlton is expected to get $368,000. The state has been slow at paying, along with the $300,000 shortfall from last year.
“There are a lot of things out of our control that we have to make up for,” said Cleary. “The problem has been that our budget is so tight that one major thing such as two vehicles breaking down are putting us on the edge of how do you come up with the money and where do you come up with it.”
Cleary and the councilors want to keep the municipal budget in front of them so they can know what to expect, while working on ideas and thoughts on what can be done.
“No one wants another drastic tax increase,” Cleary said.
In other business:
Councilors approved transferring $22,970 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to cover the purchase of the hockey dasher board system. The revenue accounts (excise tax collections and ambulance) designated for this purchase did not have enough excess funds at the end of the year to cover the total amount of $75,000. Fund-raising money will replenish that fund.
Council accepted $500 from Currier, Trask and Jordan to be used towards the Learn Not To Burn Program or other educational programs, along with a donation of 11 bags of mulch from S.W. Collins used for the Pierce Park flower beds.
Council authorized the town manager to enter into an agreement with Eaton Peabody Consulting Group to assist with the development of Dan Delucca’s request for a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District located at 185 Ludlow Road for a $650,000 expansion project for the Fed Ex Corporation that will provide 16 additional full-time positions.
Councilors also were introduced to EDP Renewables, as Katie Chapman presented a slideshow on the Number Nine Wind Project, near Bridgewater.
The next council meeting is Monday, June 23 at 6 p.m.
