Ludlow resolves to move forward

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Elna Seabrooks
CANDIDATE SUPPORTS NEIGHBOR — Donna Austin, already a candidate for the coming vacancy in September, signs the nomination papers for Tom Milton. Both are running for the single vacancy on Ludlow’s board of selectmen.
By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    LUDLOW — Following the suspension and resignation of its town manager, a state audit that found  “discrepancies” in their finances and concerns about putting the town on the right track, some 60 residents crammed into the town office for the annual town meeting Aug. 3. The meeting had been put off since March pending results of the state audit of their finances following filing of a false audit report.
    Residents approved a $300,000 budget that covers contracts for local police, fire, ambulance and animal shelter services along with purchases of sand and salt in addition to other town expenses. Selectman Ginny McCain said “the selectmen worked on the budget to keep the mil rate from going up.” The mil rate will remain at last year’s rate of 16.2 percent.
    McCain and Selectman Greg Dow attended the meeting minus Ludlow’s third selectman, Ted Ivey whose term ends this year. The town rejected expanding the board of selectmen to five persons since there was general agreement that it was not warranted for a town of only about 400 residents.
State audit findings
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Elna Seabrooks
MEETING MODERATOR — Gary Stairs moderated the town meeting in Ludlow, Aug. 3 when at least 60 residents voted on the town’s $300,000 budget.
    In addition to the annual town report, a letter from State Auditor Neria Douglass was distributed. She summarized her report with the following findings: receipts do not equal deposits for Jan.-May 2008; over $3,000 more in receipts were reported than deposits; no bank reconciliation exists for any month in three years; poor records exist on tax liens; excise taxes were collected for non-resident vehicle registrations with no record of payment to other towns including Orient and New Limerick.
    Douglass also outlined in her summary: Ludlow paid “substantial amounts for labor and mileage although town reports indicated it was for volunteer work at Ludlow’s food pantry; substantial payments were made to a selectman for “labor, food pantry, stolen tools and credit” raising concerns about self-dealing and conflict of interest. She also cited non-compliance with a 2009 law prohibiting commingling of personal and town funds.
Important dates
    A committee may possibly be formed this week to interview and hire a new town manager with an eye toward a Sept. 1 hire date.
    Tax bills are expected to be postmarked by or before Sep. 1. Payments on property taxes will get a 5 percent discount if postmarked within 30 days of the town’s postmark date; 3 percent will be discounted if payments are postmarked within 60 days and 2 percent within 90 days, according to Noreen Foster, tax collector and treasurer. Foster added that interest of 7 percent starts to accrue on day 91. Payments can be mailed or brought to the town office.
Election deadline
    Candidates who plan to run in the September election to fill the selectman’s seat that will be opening up must obtain a nomination form from Karen Beaulieu and return it with signatures of at least 10 registered voters. The deadline is 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14 to return the nomination papers.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Elna Seabrooks
NOMINATION PAPERS — Tom Milton watches as his wife, Cindy, left, and fellow resident, Therese Lussier, are about to sign his nomination papers for an upcoming open seat on Ludlow’s board of selectmen.